HD 


GIFT   OF 


U: 


REPORT 


ON 


Housing  and  Living  Conditions 

in  the  Neglected  Sections 

of  Richmond,  Virginia 


PREPARED   BY 

GUSTAVUS  A.  WEBER,  Secretary 

Society  for  the  Betterment  of  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in 
Richmond 


ftfeftmonft,  &a. 

Whittet  (&  Shepperson,  Printers 
1913 


REPORT 


ON 


Housing  and  Living  Conditions 

in  the  Neglected  Sections 

of  Richmond,  Virginia 


PREPARED  BY 

GUSTAVUS  A.  WEBER,  Secretary 

Society  for  the  Betterment  of  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in 
Richmond 


fcirfjmonb,  ¥a. 

Whittet  GBk  Shepperson,  Printers 
1913 


L  r 


Society  for  the  Betterment  of  Housing  and 
Living  Conditions  in  Richmond 

(Incorporated  June  4,  1913) 

OFFICERS 

President, 
E.  RANDOLPH  WILLIAMS. 

First  Vice-President, 
MRS.  B.  B.  MUNFORD. 

Second  Vice-President, 
JOHN  W.  DIXON. 

Treasurer, 
JAMES  CASKIE. 

Secretary, 
GUSTAVUS  A.  WEBER. 

DIRECTORS 

MISS  GRACE  E.  ARENTS  JOHN  W.  DIXON 

MISS  FLORENCE  BLACK  CHARLES  HANNIGAN 

W.  RUSSELL  BOWIE  WALTER  S.  McNEILL 

JAMES  CASKIE  MRS.  B.  B.  MUNFORD 

ANDREW  D.  CHRISTIAN  McGUIRE  NEWTON 

MISS  ELIZABETH  COCKE  MISS  CALLY  RYLAND 

D.  WEBSTER  DAVIS  E.  RANDOLPH  WILLIAMS 

FRANK  D.  WILLIAMS 


Contents 

Preface        7 

Introduction        .         9 

Part  I.  Report  of  the  Survey: 

Chapter  I.    Land  Crowding 18 

Chapter   II.     Room   Crowding 23 

Chapter   III.     Housing  Accommodations 26 

Chapter  IV.    Water  Supply  and  Toilet  Facilities     ...  32 

Chapter  V.    The  Occupants 36 

Chapter  VI.     Streets,  Alleys  and  Yards 42 

Part  II.    Legislation: 

Chapter   VII.      Building   Regulations 46 

Chapter  VIII.     Sanitary  Regulations 54 

Chapter   IX.     Regulation  of  Cleanliness   of   Streets   and 

Alleys  and  Garbage  Removal 59 

Part  III.     Appendices : 

Appendix  I.    Investigation  Card 65 

Appendix  II.     Notes  made  by  Investigators     ....  68 
Appendix  III.     The  Death  Rate  of  Richmond  Compared 

with  that   of   other   Cities 74 

Appendix  IV.    Financial  Statistics  of  Richmond  Compared 

with  those  of  other  Cities 78 


Preface 


The  Society  for  the  Betterment  of  Housing  and  Living  Con- 
ditions in  Richmond  was  organized  on  June  7,  1912.  On  Novem- 
ber 1 5th,  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Society  appointed  Mr. 
Gustavus  A.  Weber,  of  Washington,  D.  C,  Executive  Secretary 
of  the  Society.  On  December  2ist,  the  Executive  Secretary  made 
a  report  to  the  Executive  Committee  giving  the  results  of  a 
preliminary  study  made  by  him  of  housing  and  living  condi- 
tions in  Richmond.  On  January  6,  1913,  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee appoint -d  committees  on  Investigation,  Publicity,  Law- 
Enforcement,  Legislation,  and  Organization.  The  work  of  the 
Committee  on  Organization  resulted  in  a  plan  of  permanent 
organization,  which  was  presented  at  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Directors,  and  also  immediately  after  at  a  meeting  of  the  Society 
held  on  February  2Oth.  At  the  latter  meeting  this  plan  of  organi- 
zation, with  slight  modifications,  was  adopted  by  the  Society, 
and  officers  were  elected  and  committees  appointed  under  the 
new  constitution.  The  Society  was  incorporated  on  June  4,  1913. 

The  present  report  consists  of  returns  made  by  volunteers 
who  conducted  a  house  to  house  investigation  in  selected  sections 
of  the  city,  the  results  of  personal  observations  made  by  the 
Secretary,  an  analysis  of  the  laws,  regulations  and  ordinances 
affecting  the  housing  and  living  conditions  in  Richmond,  and  a 
discussion  of  the  measures  that,  in  the  opinion  of  the  Committees 
on  Investigation  and  Law  Enforcement,  are  needed  to  bring 
about  a  better  condition. 

The  data  presented  as  a  result  of  the  house  to  house  investi- 
gation were  collected  in  typical  districts  in  different  sections  of 
the  city.  The  work  was  begun  February  13,  1913,  and  closed  on 
April  30,  1913,  a  period  of  eleven  weeks. 

In  selecting  the  districts  to  be  studied  it  was  deemed  advis- 
able to  confine  the  inquiry  to  sections  of  the  city  where  the  usual 
family  income  does  not  exceed  $15  per  week.  Such  districts  were 
selected  in  many  different  parts  of  the  city,  and  the  selection  was 
made  in  such  a  way  as  to  cover  as  far  as  possible,  in  their  proper 


proportion,  a  sufficient  number  of  typical  white  and  negro  fam- 
ilies, in  order  that  the  result  of  the  inquiry  would  be  fairly  rep- 
resentative of  the  housing  and  living  conditions  of  all  the  people 
of  these  classes  living  in  Richmond. 

In  all  682  dwellings  were  inspected.  A  card,  a  fac-simile  of 
which  is  shown  in  the  Appendix,  was  filled  out  for  each  family, 
but  not  all  the  facts  indicated  on  the  card  were  ascertained  in 
every  case. 

The  personal  observations  made  by  the  Secretary  consisted 
of  a  preliminary  survey  covering  a  little  over  a  month,  in  which 
he  visited  every  street  and  alley  in  the  neglected  sections,  and  on 
several  occasions  accompanied  the  chief  sanitary  inspector  of 
the  Richmond  Department  of  Health  on  house-to-house  inspec- 
tions. The  Secretary  also  visited  many  of  the  homes  studied 
when  starting  the  various  investigators  on  their  work. 

Through  the  courtesy  of  the  Richmond  Board  of  Health,  the 
Building  Inspector,  the  Superintendent  of  Street  Cleaning,  the 
City  Engineer,  and  the  Director  of  the  U.  S.  Census  Bureau,  the 
Secretary  was  enabled  to  obtain  some  of  the  statistical  and  other 
data  presented  in  this  report. 

In  the  consideration  of  the  measures  for  the  improvement  of 
the  housing  and  living  Conditions,  the  Committee  on  Law  En- 
forcement directed  the  Secretary  to  make  a  careful  examination 
of  the  City  Code,  and  of  copies  of  regulations  on  file  in  the 
various  city  departments,  an  analysis  of  which  appears  in,  the 
report.  While  this  committee  presents  a  long  list  of  remedial 
measures,  it  is  not  intended  that  all  these  measures  should  be 
striven  for  at  once  by  the  Society.  Such  an  attempt  would  be 
inexpedient.  The  recommendations  cover  a  program  of  activities 
for  better  housing  and  living  conditions  to  be  undertaken 
gradually  in  such  order  and  at  such  times  as  the  Society  may 
deem  advisable  and  opportune. 

The  Society  is  indebted  to  the  persons  who  have  assisted  in 
the  collection  of  the  data  presented  in  this  report,  and  to  Dr. 
Ennion  G.  Williams,  Miss  Eloise  Johnston  and  Miss  Elizabeth 
Cocke  who  provided  the  illustrations.  Special  acknowledgment 
is  due  to  Mr.  Georges  M.  Weber,  who  did  nearly  one-third  of 
the  field  work,  and  also  rendered  material  aid  in  the  preparation 
of  the  report. 

GUSTAVUS  A.  WEBER, 

Secretary,  Society  for  the  Betterment  of  Housing 
and  Living  Conditions  in  Richmond 


Richmond,  Va...  October  31,  1913. 


Introduction 


While  the  housing  and  living  conditions  of  the  people  in  the 
neglected  sections  of  Richmond  are  bad  enough  to  demand  the 
serious  attention  of  all  the  citizens,  the  problem  of  their  amelio- 
ration is  not  as  difficult  or  as  hopeless  as  the  conditions  in  the 
crowded  sections  of  larger  cities  where  the  tenement  house  evil 
had  taken  root  and  had  begun  to  bear  the  fruits  of  disease, 
immorality  and  crime,  before  public  attention  was  called  to  the 
need  for  remedial  legislation. 

Richmond,  Virginia,  is  at  present  in  a  transitional  stage.  It 
is  becoming  a  large  city,  perhaps  the  future  metropolis  of  the 
South.  With  this  growth  come  civic  problems  and  responsibili- 
ties which  its  citizens  have  never  faced  before.  To  meet  these 
problems  and  to  solve  them  intelligently  we  must  profit  by  the 
experience  of  other  cities — their  successes  and  failures.  For- 
tunately for  Richmond,  its  transition  is  taking  place  at  a  time 
when  public  interest  in  civic  and  social  betterment  throughout 
the  world  is  at  its  height,  and  when  organizations  and  experts 
everywhere  are  giving  their  attention  to  its  various  problems. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  problem  of  the  rapidly  growing 
city  is  the  housing  of  its  working  people.  The  Rt.  Honorable 
James  Bryce,  late  British  Ambassador  to  the  United  States,  in 
a  speech  made  before  the  National  Housing  Association  in  Phila- 
delphia last  year,  said :  "Whatever  you  are  trying  to  accomplish 
for  the  benefit  of  the  poorer  classes  leads  you,  by  one  path  and 
another,  to  the  housing  problem.  The  place  in  which  a  man  or  a 
woman  dwells  is  vital  to  the  character  of  the  man  or  woman. 
To  begin  with,  there  is  the  consideration  of  health  and  of  all  that 
follows  from  bad  health.  Depressed  vitality  is  a  most  fruitful 
cause  of  intemperance.  Bad  housing  is  one  of  the  direct  causes 
of  that  evil.  Cleanliness  is  not  only  a  condition  for  health,  it  is 
a  condition  for  self-respect.  It  is  a  condition  for  the  elevation  of 
the  whole  life  of  the  man  or  woman,  that  he  or  she  should  be 
able  to  feel  that  they  are  living  with  a  standard  to  maintain,  with 
an  ideal  to  live  up  to,  something  to  respect." 

Rev.  Luther  E.  Lovejoy,  late  of  the  Detroit  (Mich.)  Housing 
Commission,  characterized  bad  housing  as  consisting  of  "houses 


io  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

that  are  poorly  lighted,  unventilated,  damp,  imperfectly  drained, 
exposed  to  undue  fire  peril,  in  bad  repair,  vermin-infected,  dis- 
ease-infected, with  unclean  surroundings,  with  insufficient  water 
supply,  without  toilet  accommodations  adequate  for  comfort, 
cleanliness  or  privacy,  with  defective  plumbing,  with  over- 
crowded rooms,  and  with  cellar  tenements." 

All  of  these  conditions,  without  exception,  have  been  found 
to  exist  in  Richmond,  and  will  be  dealt  with  at  length  in  the 
various  chapters  of  the  report.  Concerning  the  results  of  bad 
housing,  Dr.  Lovejoy  declared  that  such  houses  are  "dangerous 
to  moral  and  physical  health,  social  and  personal,  and  promote 
industrial  inefficiency,  inebriety,  dependence,  poverty,  disease, 
death,  juvenile  delinquency,  debased  citizenship,  vice  and  crime 
and  degeneracy  of  race."  There  is  no  doubt  in  the  minds  of  those 
who  participated  in  the  Richmond  housing  investigation  that 
the  living  conditions  found  in  some  of  the  neglected  localities 
here  give  evidence  of  the  truth  of  this  last  assertion  of  Dr.  Love- 
joy.  Nevertheless  the  housing  and  living  conditions  of  the  peo- 
ple in  the  neglected  sections  of  Richmond  are  not  so  bad  as  to 
cause  any  alarm,  or  to  justify  the  statement,  sometimes  made, 
that  they  are  worse  than  in  almost  any  other  city  in  the  country. 

Death  Rate. — While  Richmond  in  1911  had,  according  to  the 
U.  S.  Census  Bureau,  the  second  highest  death  rate  of  the  fifty 
leading  cities  in  the  United  States,  an  examination  of  the  death 
rate  from  preventable  diseases  in  Richmond,  as  published  in  the 
annual  reports  of  the  Health  Department  of  the  City  of  Rich- 
mond, shows  a  remarkable  reduction  in  recent  years. 

Land  Crowding.— The  statement  has  often  been  made,  and 
frequently  published,  that  there  is  a  greater  density  of  popula- 
tion in  Richmond  than  in  almost  any  other  city.  It  is  true,  as 
shown  on  page  21  that,  by  dividing  the  total  population  by  the 
total  area,  we  find  that  for  Richmond  the  quotient  is  greater  than 
in  most  other  cities.  This,  however,  does  not  necessarily  show  a 
condition  of  over-crowding  in  Richmond.  There  is  perhaps  less 
vacant  land  in  the  form  of  large  unimproved  private  tracts  within, 
the  city  limits  of  Richmond  than  there  is  in  most  of  the  other 
cities.  The  only  land  crowding  which  exists,  however,  in  Rich- 
mond is  found  in  the  large  fashionable  apartment  houses  and  in 
some  of  the  tenement  houses  along  east  Main  Street  and  Seven- 
teenth, Eighteenth,  and  Nineteenth  Streets  north  of  that  thor- 
oughfare, where  frequently  the  houses  occupy  all  or  nearly  all 
of  the  lot  space. 

Owing  to  the  large  blocks  in  some  sections  of  Richmond,  the 
lots  are  so  deep  that  much  land  space  is  taken  up  in  large  back 
yards  that  might  well  be  shortened.  In  such  cases,  if  minor 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  II 

streets  were  run  through  the  blocks  the  building  frontage  would 
be  doubled,  and  by  building  shallow  two-story  houses,  two  or 
at  most  three  rooms  deep,  there  would  be  plenty  of  air  and  light 
and  model  conditions  could  be  maintained.  This  would  avert 
the  alley  house  evil  and  would  also  remove  the  necessity  for  the 
tenement  house,  which  will  otherwise  arise  in  time  as  the  city 
grows.  It  is  believed  that,  with  a  proper  use  of  the  ground,  a 
sufficient  number  of  dwellings  could  be  built  within  convenient 
distance  of  the  industrial  sections  to  accommodate  all  of  the 
working  people  in  Richmond.  On  the  whole,  if  the  private  land 
space  in  Richmond  were  economically  utilized,  the  actual  popula- 
tion within  the  present  city  limits  of  Richmond  could  be  very 
materially  increased  without  necessarily  over-crowding. 

Room  Crowding. — There  is,  however,  some  room-crowding, 
which  is  dangerous  to  health  and  most  conducive  to  immorality, 
due  mainly  to  a  lack  of  sufficient  living  accommodations.  Thus 
of  1,170  bed-rooms  for  which  the  number  of  occupants  was  re- 
ported, there  were  eight  rooms  in  each  of  which  seven  persons 
crowded  together  at  night;  thirteen  rooms  in  each  of  which  six 
persons  slept ;  forty-one  rooms,  five  persons  each ;  eighty-six 
rooms,  four  persons  each;  212  rooms,  three  persons  each.  In 
the  remaining  810  bed-rooms  there  was  no  room  crowding. 

Housing  Accommodations. — According  to  the  U.  S.  Census 
leturns  the  provision  of  dwelling  houses  has  more  than  kept  pace 
with  the  increased  population.  Thus  while  the  population  of 
Richmond  increased  from  85,050  in  1900,  to  127,628  in  1910,  or 
50  per  cent.,  and  the  number  of  families  from  17,845  to  26,914, 
or  51  per  cent.,  the  number  of  dwelling  houses  has  increased 
from  14,201  in  1900,  to  22,205,  or  56  per  cent.  What  the  relation 
between  these  figures  is  in  any  particular  part  of  Richmond  can- 
not be  ascertained,  because  the  boundaries  of  the  city  wards  were 
changed  during  this  decade  and  the  available  figures  by  wards 
are  not  comparable.  The  increase  in  the  number  of  dwellings 
has  been  mainly  in  the  sections  of  the  city  where  the  wealthy 
people  and  those  of  moderate  means  live,  namely,  those  whose 
annual  family  incomes  are  above  $1,200  per  year.  In  the  sections 
which  came  within  the  scope  of  the  investigation,  out  of  a  total 
of  517  buildings  only  thirty-six  were  reported  as  being  new,  that 
is,  houses  apparently  built  within  the  past  ten  years.  Of  520 
houses  of  which  the  condition  of  repairs  was  reported,  157  or 
30  per  cent,  needed  no  repairs  whatever,  244  or  47  per  cent, 
needed  some  repairs,  while  119  or  23  per  cent,  were  in  such 
condition  of  repair  as  to  be  practically  unfit  for  habitation. 

An  examination  of  the  building  permits  issued  by  the  Build- 
ing Inspector  of  the  City  of  Richmond  shows  that  during  the  five 

n 


12  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

years  ending  December  31,  1912,  2,213  dwelling  houses  (exclusive 
of  dwelling  houses  with  stores  or  shops)  were  constructed  in  this 
city.  Of  these  buildings  considerably  over  one-half  were  con- 
structed at  a  cost  which  placed  them  beyond  the  reach  of  the 
average  clerk,  salesman,  or  wage-worker  who  constitute  the  bulk 
of  the  population  of  Richmond.  This  is  shown  on  pages  28  and  29. 

Building  Material.— Of  546  houses  visited  and  for  which  re- 
turns were  made  by  investigators,  118  were  built  of  brick,  23 
were  of  brick  and  frame,  and  405,  or  74  per  cent,  were  of  frame. 
According  to  the  records  of  the  Building  Inspector,  of  the  22,083 
dwelling  houses  in  the  entire  City  of  Richmond  on  December 
31,  1912,  13,543,  or  about  60  per  cent.,  were  of  frame  construc- 
tion. 

Water  and  Toilet  Facilities. — Very  few  of  the  houses  visited 
had  running  water  within  the  dwellings,  a  still  smaller  number 
had  interior  water  closets,  while  bath  tubs  appeared  to  be  almost 
unknown  in  the  sections  visited.  Some  houses  had  wells,  and 
some  had  no  water  supply  at  all.  About  one-tenth  of  the  houses 
visited  had  dry  closets.  In  some  cases  where  water  facilities 
had  been  installed,  the  water  was  found  turned  off  on  account 
of  the  non-payment  of  the  water  rent,  an  evil  which  could  be 
avoided  if  the  burden  of  paying  the  water  rent  were  placed  upon 
the  landlord  instead  of  the  tenant.  Where  water  closets  were 
found,  the  plumbing  conditions  were  often  very  bad,  some  defect, 
either  in  the  nature  of  an  insufficient  flow,  continual  flow,  or  no 
flow  at  all,  broken  tank  chain,  leaking  tank,  stopped  up  bowl,  etc., 
being  found  in  about  one-fourth  of  the  water  closets  used  by 
the  white  families,  and  nearly  one-half  of  those  used  by  the 
negroes  which  were  visited. 

Rents. — The  working  people  visited  paid  in  general  less  rent 
than  their  family  incomes  justified.  Thus  while  the  average 
wage  worker  in  an  American  city  pays  about  15  to  25  per  cent, 
of  the  family  income  for  rent,  the  white  families  in  the  sections 
studied  in  Richmond  from  whom  the  information  could  be  ob- 
tained, paid,  on  an  average,  about  n  per  cent.,  and  the  negroes 
14^2  per  cent,  of  their  family  income  for  rent.  While  this  is  true, 
it  must  be  stated  that  the  dwellings  visited  were  not,  as  a  rule, 
worth  more  than  the  rents  paid  for  them,  many  being  worth 
much  less,  a  considerable  number  being  unfit  for  human  habi- 
tation. In  the  few  good  houses  that  were  found,  the  rents 
were  high  for  the  accommodations  furnished.  It  is  evident  that 
if  better  housing  accommodations  were  available,  the  wage- 
workers,  both  white  and  negro,  now  living  in  hovels,  would  be 
able  and  willing  to  pay  higher  rents. 

Modern  Dwellings.— The  greatest  need  of  Richmond  at  the 
present  time  is  the  building  of  modern  dwellings  to  replace  the 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  13 

thousands  of  ramshackle  houses  that  are  unfit  to  live  in.  What 
is  needed  most  of  all  by  both  the  white  and  colored  population, 
are  dwellings  renting  from  $6  to  $12  per  month,  although  there 
appears  also  to  be  a  great  demand  for  dwellings  renting  for  from 
$12  to  $20  per  month.  If  new  houses  were  built  in  sufficient 
numbers,  and  if  many  of  the  old  houses  were  repaired  and  pro- 
perly managed,  the  worst  of  the  present  housing  evils  in  Rich- 
mond would  be  eliminated. 

There,  are,  however,  other  serious  housing  evils  in  Richmond, 
of  which  some  are  now  felt  and  others  will  become  more  and 
more  apparent  as  the  city  grows  larger,  and  ought  to  be  dealt 
with  before  it  is  too  late  to  prevent  serious  harm  in  the  future. 

Housing  Laws. — There  are  no  regulations  concerning  land 
crowding.  An  apartment  or  tenement  house  may  cover  every 
square  foot  of  the  lot  on  which  it  is  built,  leaving  no  yard  or 
court  for  light  or  ventilation,  and  it  may  be  built  to  any  height. 
There  are  no  restrictions  concerning  the  size  of  rooms  in  such 
houses,  no  provision  for  lighting  and  ventilating  halls,  or  for 
adequacy  of  the  water  supply  and  of  water  closet  accommoda- 
tions. 

In  dwelling  houses  of  three  or  less  families  there  are  no  re- 
quirements whatever  concerning  light  or  ventilation,  and  a  land- 
lord may  provide  as  many  dark  rooms  as  he  chooses. 

A  housing  law  should  be  enacted  which  will  limit  the  lot 
space  that  may  be  built  upon,  make  provision  for  ample  light, 
ventilation,  water  and  toilet  facilities,  prevent  over-crowding  and 
secure  privacy  for  the  tenants.  It  should  apply  not  only  to  new 
houses,  but  also  to  old  houses  when  altered,  and  to  such  an  ex- 
tent to  existing  houses  as  will  not  involve  too  great  a  hardship 
upon  the  owners. 

Nothing  is  so  essential  to  the  efficiency  and  the  healthy  phy- 
sical development  of  the  people  as  a  plentiful  supply  of  fresh 
air  and  sunshine.  Over-crowding  of  rooms  at  night  is  not  only 
detrimental  physically,  but  it  frequently  involves  the  promiscu- 
ous mixing  of  sexes  with  its  consequent  incentive  to  vice. 
Privacy,  especially  in  the  use  of  toilet  facilities,  is  merely  a  re- 
quirement of  civilization.  An  absence  of  it  is  barbarism.  In 
Richmond,  cases  have  been  found  where  as  many  as  six  families 
use  one  water  closet.  Furthermore,  we  cannot  expect  people  to 
keep  their  bodies  and  their  homes  clean  if  they  must  expend  a 
great  part  of  their  energies  carrying  water  from  a  neighboring 
yard  or  a  street  pump  a  block  away.  We  must  install  the  city 
water  in  every  house,  and,  if  possible,  in  the  apartment  where  it 
is  used.  There  are  places  in  Richmond  where  people  must  carry 
water  a  distance  of  a  block  or  more  from  a  well  or  spring. 


14  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

As  stated  above,  perhaps  the  most  difficult  housing  problem 
in  Richmond  is  the  presence  of  ramshackle  wooden  houses  that 
are  mere  shelters  unfit  to  live  in.  Richmond  has  many,  one  may 
say,  thousands  of  these  houses.  Several  hundreds  of  such  houses 
were  condemned  in  the  last  few  years  by  the  Building  Inspector 
because  they  were  structurally  unsafe.  However,  houses  may 
be  regarded  as  structurally  safe  and  yet  may  be  unfit  for  habita- 
tion on  account  of  their  decay,  bad  repair  and  general  unsanitary 
condition.  .  These  also  should  be  condemned  and  destroyed.  Un- 
less they  are  condemned  as  unfit  for  habitation,  not  only  will 
they  continue  to  be  a  menace  to  health,  but  it  will  be  difficult  to 
replace  them  by  new  model  houses  because  their  present  rental 
value  is  too  high  to  permit  their  purchase,  destruction  and  re- 
placement on  a  paying  basis. 

Yards,  Alleys  and  Streets. — The  condition  of  back  yards,  lots, 
alleys  and  streets  in  the  neglected  sections,  constitutes  a  very 
conspicuous  feature  of  the  housing  problem  in  Richmond. 

An  extensive  survey  of  practically  all  of  the  streets  and 
alleys  of  Richmond,  made  by  the  Secretary  before  the  inaugura- 
tion of  the  "Clean-up  Campaign"  on  May  5th  to  i8th,  disclosed 
conditions  about  as  bad  as  could  be  found  anywhere.  There  was 
scarcely  a  street  for  a  distance  of  a  block  or  two  that  was  not 
found  littered  more  or  less  with  paper  and  other  rubbish.  Some 
of  the  streets  and  alleys  in  the  poorer  sections,  especially  where 
the  negroes  live,  appeared  as  though  they  had  never  been  cleaned. 
The  habit  of  throwing  all  kinds  of  rubbish  in  the  yards,  lots, 
streets  and  alleys,  appears  to  be  universal.  The  educational 
campaign  for  a  cleaner  city  conducted  by  this  Society,  with 
the  aid  of  the  newspapers,  and  in  co-operation  with  the  city  offi- 
cials, had  a  marked  effect,  and  during  the  clean-up  period  nearly 
every  back  yard  and  alley,  particularly  in  the  neglected  sections 
of  the  city,  was  cleaned  up.  Since  then,  however,  the  old  habit 
has  been  resumed. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  forces  of  the  Health  and  Street 
Cleaning  Departments  are  insufficient  to  deal  with  this  problem. 
They  should  be  materially  increased.  But  the  evil  is  not  only  a 
matter  of  inadequate  service.  Ignorance  and  carelessness  on  the 
part  of  the  householders  and  business  men  are  largely  respon- 
sible. When  the  poorer  people  are  untidy  it  is  usually  because 
they  do  not  have  sufficient  time  and  facilities  for  keeping  clean, 
or  because  they  know  no  better  and  need  education.  The  others 
are  untidy  because  they  are  often  extremely  careless  and  be- 
cause they  fail  to  look  adequately  after  the  condition  of  their 
premises.  The  filthy  rubbish-littered  cellars  and  back  yards  are 
not  confined  to  the  neglected  sections  of  the  city.  They  are  com- 


Xeglcctcd  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  15 

mon  along  the  most  fashionable  streets.  The  employees  of  many 
business  houses  litter  the  streets,  alleys  and  vacant  spaces  in 
their  vicinity  with  paper  and  rubbish,  and  their  employers,  while 
they  have  to  step  over  the  litter  on  their  way  to  their  offices,  do 
not  think  of  prohibiting  this  carelessness.  Householders  permit 
their  sen-ants  to  neglect  to  put  the  garbage  and  ashes  where 
they  can  be  collected,  and  then  complain  to  the  Street  Cleaning 
Department  that  the  collectors  do  not  carry  them  away.  In  a 
modern  city  it  is  unwise  to  leave  the  entire  responsibility  for  the 
cleanliness  of  a  household  in  the  hands  of  the  servants.  Their 
work  should  be  carefully  supervised  and  the  kitchens,  cellars, 
and  back  yards  frequently  visited  by  the  householders  if  the 
premises  are  to  be  kept  clean  and  sanitary.  Likewise,  a  busi- 
ness man  should  give  some  thought  to  the  cleanliness  of  his 
establishment  and  its  environment.  For  those  wrho  have  no  re- 
gard for  civic  cleanliness,  stringent  laws  should  be  enacted  and 
enforced. 

Sewerage  and  Water. — While  splendid  work  has  been  done 
in  recent  years  in  the  extension  of  the  sewerage  system  and  the 
water  mains  in  Richmond,  there  are  still  a  considerable  number 
of  streets,  some  of  which  are  lined  with  habitations,  which  have 
no  water  mains  and  sewers.  According  to  the  records  of  the 
City  Health  Department  there  were,  in  September,  1913,  about 
i. 200  houses  that  cannot  be  connected  with  the  sewers,  and  hence 
the  people  who  live  in  them  must  be  content  with  the  objection- 
able dry  closets.  The  work  of  extending  the  water  mains  and 
sewers  ought  to  go  on  as  rapidly  as  possible,  so  that  every  dwell- 
ing house  within  the  present  city  limits  will  have  water  and 
sewer  connection.  In  this  work  of  extension,  the  inhabited  streets 
should  be  given  precedence  over  those  where  the  land  is  unim- 
proved and  where  much  of  it  is  merely  held  for  speculation. 

Street  and  Alley  Improvement. — The  same  remarks  apply  to 
street  and  alley  improvement.  Of  approximately  200  miles  of 
streets  in  the  City  of  Richmond,  only  70  are  paved,  and  of  190 
mil^s  of  alleys,  only  20  miles  are  paved,  according  to  the  records 
of  the  Street  Cleaning  Department.  Of  the  unpaved  streets  and 
alleys,  many  are  in  the  most  densely  settled  sections  of  the  city, 
where  also  there  are  many  miles  of  sidewralks  which  have  never 
been  paved. 

Dumps. — There  should  be  better  police  supervision  over  the 
dumps  which  are  in  close  proximity  to  dwelling  houses.  These 
often  become  the  depositories  for  garbage,  dead  animals,  paper 
and  other  perishable  rubbish.  Some  of  the  dumps  are  so  high 
above  the  surrounding  property  that,  during  heavy  rains,  the 


1 6  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

filth  is  washed  into  the  neighboring  yards  and  dwellings. 
The  existing  dumps  which  are  in  close  proximity  to  dwellings 
should  be  raked  of  all  combustible  rubbish,  which  should  be 
burned,  and  the  dumping  of  combustible  rubbish  and  all  dumping 
above  the  street  level  within  the  city  limits  should  be  prohibited. 
Open  Sewer. — Few  cities  would  tolerate  an  open  sewer  like 
Shockoe  Creek.  This  polluted  creek  flows  close  to  a  thickly  set- 
tled section  of  the  city,  some  houses  being  almost  on  the  water's 
edge.  In  places,  the  creek  overflows  in  rainy  weather,  leaving 
stagnant  pools  of  filthy  water  which  remain  for  days  and  weeks. 
No  arguments  should  be  needed  to  secure  an  immediate  appro- 
priation for  the  conversion  of  this  creek  into  an  underground 
sewer. 

Dusty  Streets. — Another  bad  condition,  and  one  which  can  be 
easily  remedied,  is  that  of  dusty  streets.  The  paved  streets  are 
sprinkled  by  the  Street  Cleaning  Department  whenever  swept, 
and  the  street  car  companies  are  required  to  sprinkle  between 
and  a  short  distance  beyond  the  tracks,  but  the  rest,  and  by  far 
the  greater  part  of  the  street  area,  receives  no  such  treatment 
except  when  undertaken  at  private  expense.  The  street  sprinkling 
should  be  done  by  the  municipal  government,  and  all  streets 
should  be  either  oiled  or  sprinkled  as  often  as  is  necessary  to 
lay  the  dust. 

Smoke. — The  smoke  nuisance  should  also  receive  attention. 
It  is  claimed  that  the  most  recent  types  of  smoke  consumers  are 
not  only  effective  in  consuming  smoke,  but  that  they  also  effect 
an  economy  in  the  use  of  fuel.  An  ordinance  should  be  passed 
requiring  smoke  consumers  to  be  installed  wherever  large  quan- 
tities of  bituminous  coal  are  consumed. 

Model  Houses. — Aside  from  the  necessity  for  the  education 
of  the  people  and  the  enactment  and  enforcement  of  remedial 
legislation,  as  outlined  above,  there  is  a  need  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  housing  improvement  enterprises  which  will  not  only 
build,  rent  and  sell  new  houses  on  the  many  acres  of  available 
lots  within  as  well  as  without  the  present  city  limits,  but  which 
will  also  purchase  and  renovate  existing  houses  and  manage  all 
on  a  humane  though  strictly  business  basis.  The  way  in  which 
many  houses  are  being  neglected  by  owners  who  draw  rents 
from  them  is  a  disgrace  to  the  city  of  Richmond.  The  experi- 
ence of  other  cities,  notably,  Boston,  New  York,  Philadelphia, 
Washington,  Cincinnati,  Albany,  etc.,  show  that  with  proper 
expert  management  model  housing  enterprises  can  provide  com- 
fortable homes  for  their  tenants,  set  a  good  example  of  construc- 
tion and  business  management  for  other  landlords  to  follow,  and 
demonstrate  to  legislators  that  proper  housing  regulations  are 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  17 

not  oppressive.    At  the  same  time  they  offer  an  opportunity  for 
the  profitable  investment  of  capital. 

In  conclusion,  the  problem  of  the  betterment  of  housing  and 
living  conditions  in  Richmond  can  be  effectively  dealt  with  (i) 
by  arousing  public  sentiment  and  appealing  to  civic  pride,  so 
that  citizens  may  do  their  part  in  keeping  the  streets,  alleys, 
back  yards  and  other  exposed  places  clean  and  free  from  rub- 
bish; (2)  by  enacting  and  enforcing  model  housing  laws  and 
better  regulations  for  the  maintenance  of  clean  streets  and  alleys 
and  the  removal  and  disposal  of  rubbish;  (3)  by  making  liberal 
appropriations  for  the  completion  of  the  water  and  sewerage 
systems,  the  extension  of  the  street  paving,  and  for  the  enforce- 
ment of  housing,  street  cleaning  and  other  sanitary  laws  and 
regulations;  (4)  by  providing  proper  and  adequate  housing  ac- 
commodations for  the  working  people. 


PART  I. 


Report  of  the  Survey 

CHAPTER   I. 
LAND  CROWDING. 


There  is  very  little  land  crowding  in  Richmond  at  the  present 
time.  Aside  from  the  fashionable  apartment  houses,  built  for 
from  two  to  forty  families,  and  the  tenement  houses  in  the  sec- 
tion between  Seventeenth  and  Nineteenth,  Main  and  Venable 
Streets  and  along  East  Main  Street,  the  "tenement  evil"  has 
scarcely  been  felt  in  Richmond.  In  the  latter  section,  the  tene- 
ment houses  are  mostly  two  and  three  stories  high,  and  house 
from  two  to  five  families  each,  some  being  occupied  by  large 
households  consisting  not  only  of  members  of  the  immediate  fam- 
ilies, but  in  many  cases  also  of  boarders  and  lodgers.  The  occu- 
pants are  largely  foreigners  and  negroes.  The  houses  were  not 
originally  built  for  tenement  houses,  but  were  in  most  cases 
adapted  for  such  use  without  the  provision  of  any  such  light, 
ventilation,  plumbing,  privacy,  etc.,  as  modern  tenement  house 
laws  require.  Many  of  these  houses  are  dark,  poorly  ventilated, 
and  extremely  filthy  and  dilapidated.  They  are  among  the  very 
lowest  types  of  habitations  covered  by  the  investigation,  and 
emphasize  the  need  for  tenement  house  legislation  in  Rich- 
mond. But  even  here,  the  number  of  persons  per  acre  is  small 
when  compared  with  the  congested  sections  of  most  large  cities. 

Aside  from  the  above-mentioned  sections  of  Richmond,  there 
are  very  few  apartment  or  tenement  houses,  and  comparatively 
few  have  been  constructed  in  the  past  five  years.  Thus  of  a  total 
of  2,213  dwelling  houses  constructed  during  the  years  1908  to 
1912  inclusive,  according  to  the  records  of  the  City  Building  In- 
spector, only  56,  or  2^  per  cent.,  were  built  for  three  or  more 
families.  Of  the  546  buildings  included  in  the  Society's  investi- 
gation, 449,  or  82  per  cent.,  were  one-family  houses;  85  were 
two-family  houses,  and  8  were  houses  occupied  by  three  or  more 
families. 


These  two  illustrations  show  vacant  land  space  in  the  northwest  section, 
within  a  mile  of  the  heart  of  the  city  and  very  near  a  growing  manu- 
facturing district,  a  section  where  it  is  claimed  that  the  population  is 
congested.  There  is  room  crowding  in  many  of  these  houses,  but  not 
on  account  of  a  lack  of  land  space. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  19 

There  is,  as  a  rule,  more  or  less  yard  space  with  each 
dwelling,  nearly  all  houses  having  rear  yards  and  many  having 
front  and  side  yards  also.  The  following  statement  shows  the 
extent  to  which  the  houses  visited  were  provided  with  yards : 

Houses  Occupied  by 
White  Negro 

Houses  Having-  Families  Families  Total 

Front  yards  only 5  6  n 

Side  yards  only I  3  4 

Rear  yards  only 1 16  131  247 

Front  and  side  yards 6  6 

Front  and  rear  yards 75  119  194 

Side  and  rear  yards  7  13  20 

Front,  side  and  rear  yards 18  20  38 

222  298  520 


It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that,  taken  as  a  whole,  the  average 
number  of  persons  to  a  dwelling  house  in  the  sections  visited 
was  smaller  than  the  average  number  per  dwelling  in  the  city 
as  a  whole.  Thus  in  the  houses  studied  there  were  on  an  aver- 
age 5.4  white  persons  and  4.9  negroes  per  house.  The  average 
number  of  persons  per  house  in  the  entire  city  in  1910,  according 
to  the  U.  S.  Census  returns,  was  5.7. 

Even  this  average  of  5.7  persons  per  dwelling  house,  for  the 
city  as  a  whole,  is  less  than  the  average  of  the  ten  cities  in  the 
United  States  most  nearly  the  size  of  Richmond.  This  is  shown 
in  the  following  statement  compiled  from  the  U.  S.  Census  re- 
turns for  1910: 

Persons  Persons 

Occupied  to  a  to  a 

Population     Dwellings     Families  Dwelling  Family 

Syracuse,  N.  Y 137,249  23,200  31,551  5.9  4.4 

New  Haven,  Conn 133,605  17,466  29,271  7.6  4.6 

Birmingham,  Ala 132,685  26,989  31,050  4.9  4.3 

Memphis,  Tenn 131,105  26,710  31,154  4-9  4-2 

Scranton,  Pa 129,867  22,143  26,312  5.9  4.9 

Richmond,  Va 127,629  22,205  26,914  5.7  4.7 

Paterson,  N.  J 125,600  15,812  27,978  7.9  4.5 

Omaha,  Neb 124,096  23,657  26,359  5.2  4.7 

Fall  River,  Mass 119,295  10,962  24,378  10.9  4.9 

Dayton,  Ohio 116,577  26,692  28,370  4.4  4.1 

Grand  Rapids,  Mich..  .  112,571  23,432  26,925  4.8  4.2 


2O  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

There  is  a  tendency  at  the  present  time  in  Richmond,  how- 
ever, to  build  houses  of  two  families  each,  as  is  shown  by  the 
statistics  of  dwelling  houses  constructed  during  the  past  five 
years  compiled  from  the  records  of  the  Inspector  of  Buildings. 
Of  the  2,213  dwelling  houses  built  in  the  past  five  years  (exclu- 
sive of  houses  built  for  stores  and  dwellings),  1,637,  or  about 
74  per  cent.,  were  built  for  one  apartment  only;  while  520,  or 
23/^  Per  cent.,  were  built  for  two  apartments  each.  Of  the  re- 
mainder, 32  were  built  for  three  apartments;  n  for  four  apart- 
ments; i  for  five  apartments;  4  for  six  apartments;  I  for  seven 
apartments;  3  for  eight  apartments;  I  for  nine  apartments;  2 
for  ten  apartments;  and  I  for  forty  apartments.  While  a  con- 
siderable proportion  of  the  two  apartment  dwellings  were  for 
the  wage-earning  class,  the  larger  apartment  houses  were  mainly 
built  for  high-priced  dwellings.  The  fact,  however,  that  there 
were  some  three,  four  and  five  apartment  houses  of  the  cheaper 
grade  built  in  recent  years,  shows  the  need  of  some  tenement 
regulations  if  Richmond  desires  to  avoid  the  tenement  house 
evil,  which  has  become  such  a  serious  problem  in  other  larger 
cities. 

There  is  much  unoccupied  land  space  within  the  city  limits 
in  the  form  of  vacant  lots,  in  fact,  whole  squares,  particularly 
in  the  southwest  and  northeast  sections,  which  is  admirably 
adapted  for  working  people's  homes  and  which  ought  to  be  so 
utilized.  Furthermore,  the  city  of  Richmond  has  a  small  total 
area  when  compared  with  other  cities  of  similar  size,  and  there 
ought  to  be  much  land  outside  the  present  limits,  but  still  easily 
accessible,  cheap  enough  to  allow  for  the  provision  of  decent 
housing  accommodations. 

The  following  statement,  compiled  from  the  U.  S.  Census 
returns  for  1910,  shows  the  total  population  and  land  area  and 
the  population  per  acre  of  each  of  the  fifty  leading  cities  in  the 
United  States: 


These  two  illustrations  show,  vacant  land  space  in  the  northwest  section, 
within  a  mile  of  the  heart  of  the  city  and  very  near  a  growing  manu- 
facturing district,  a  section  where  it  is  claimed  that  the  population  is 
congested.  There  is  room  crowding  in  many  of  these  houses,  but  not 
on  account  of  a  lack  of  land  space. 


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22  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

It  will  be  observed  that  only  eight  of  these  fifty  cities  had  a 
smaller  area  in  proportion  to  their  population  than  Richmond. 
This,  however,  does  not  necessarily  mean  that  there  is  land 
crowding  in  Richmond,  but  only  that  most  other  cities  have  ex- 
tended their  limits  so  as  to  include  a  larger  amount  of  unim- 
proved land. 

If  the  city  limits  could  be  extended  so  as  to  give  to  a  larger 
territory  suitable  for  working  people's  homes  the  advantages  of 
municipal  government,  such  as  streets,  sewers,  water  mains, 
police  and  fire  protection,  street  railway  service,  etc.,  and  if  at 
the  same  time  the  price  of  land  in  such  newly  annexed  territory 
were  kept  sufficiently  low  to  make  the  building  of  model  houses 
for  working  people  financially  practicable,  such  annexation  would 
be  of  immense  benefit  from  the  housing  point  of  view.  The 
extension  of  municipalized  territory  under  those  conditions 
would  increase  the  possibilities  on  the  part  of  the  working  peo- 
ple of  obtaining  such  ideal  home  conditions  as  detached  one- 
family  houses,  with  sufficient  rooms  for  privacy  and  comfort,  and 
with  adequate  land  space  for  play  and  for  the  cultivation  of 
flowers  and  vegetables.  There  is  no  logical  reason  why  hun- 
dreds of  acres  of  splendid  vacant  land,  both  within  and  without 
the  present  city  limits  within  easy  access  to  the  industrial  sections 
of  the  city,  should  lie  idle  from  year  to  year  when  thousands  of 
our  working  people  are  compelled  to  live  in  two  and  three-room 
hovels.  If  this  vacant  land  were  available  for  cheap  homes  for 
working  people,  and  if  stringent  building  and  sanitary  laws  were 
enacted  and  enforced,  it  would  soon  become  unprofitable  for 
landlords  to  own  houses  which  are  unfit  for  habitation. 


CHAPTER   II. 
ROOM  CROWDING. 

While  there  is  but  little  land  crowding  in  Richmond,  there  is 
considerable  room  crowding,  due  in  part  to  a  lack  of  sufficient 
housing  accommodations  for  the  working  people,  and,  to  some 
extent,  to  the  absence  of  a  proper  appreciation  of  the  require- 
ments of  decent  living  on  the  part  of  the  occupants. 

The  crowding  together,  especially  in  bed  rooms,  is  one  of  the 
very  worst  evils  of  bad  housing.  Where  three  or  more  people 
sleep  in  one  bed  room,  especially  when  the  windows  are  closed, 
as  is  often  the  case  among  the  poorer  people,  the  air  soon  be- 
comes foul  and  unfit  to  breathe,  and  the  physical  condition  of 
the  occupants  is  seriously  impaired.  The  effect  is  particularly 
bad  upon  children  who,  through  lack  of  sufficient  pure  air,  not 
only  develop  weak  lungs,  but  also  are  otherwise  weakened  and 
stunted  physically  and  mentally  as  well. 

Where  children  and  adults  of  both  sexes  are  crowded  to- 
gether in  one  bed-room,  especially  when  some  of  the  occupants 
are  not  members  of  the  immediate  family,  as  is  frequently  the 
case,  the  over-crowding  becomes  a  serious  moral  problem,  for 
such  a  condition  cannot  exist  without  depriving  the  occupants, 
especially  the  children,  of  all  sense  of  modesty.  Perhaps  the 
greater  part  of  the  sexual  immorality  which  exists  among  the 
very  poor  is  due  to  the  lack  of  privacy  in  the  homes. 

The  546  houses  covered  by  the  investigation  were  occupied 
by  645  families  including  about  2,800  people.  The  average  negro 
family  consisted  of  four  persons,  and  the  average  white  family  of 
five  persons,  the  average  for  all  families  studied  being  4.3  per- 
sons per  family.  This  figure  is  lower  than  the  average  size  per 
family  in  Richmond  as  a  whole  in  1910,  4.7  persons,  as  shown 
by  the  U.  S.  Census  returns. 

The  families  studied  occupied  on  an  average  three  and  one- 
half  rooms  per  family,  which,  after  allowing  for  the  kitchen, 
leaves  about  one  room  for  every  two  persons  for  living  and 
sleeping  purposes.  Every  dwelling,  no  matter  how  poor  the 
occupants,  should  have  at  least  one  bed-room  for  every  two 
occupants,  besides  a  kitchen  and  a  living-room. 

A  study  of  the  occupancy  of  bed-rooms  shows  that  of  1,170 
bed-rooms  covered  by  the  investigation,  8  were  occupied  at 
night  by  seven  persons  each,  13  by  six  persons,  41  by  five  per- 


24  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

sons,  86  by  four  persons,  and  212  by  three  persons  each,  this 
over-crowding  of  bed-rooms  being  more  common  among  the 
whites  than  among  the  negroes  studied. 

The  following  statement  compiled  from  the  returns  of  this 

investigation  show  the  condition  of  room  occupancy  for  the 
white  and  negro  dwellings  studied. 

Size  of 

Apartment  or                                              White  Negro  All 

Dwelling                                                 Families  Families  Families 

One  room   9  18  27 

Two  rooms   29  94  123 

Three  rooms 62  134  196 

Four  rooms 53  82  135 

Five  rooms 51  14  65 

Six  rooms  31  16  47 

Seven  rooms 9  6  15 

Eight  rooms  i  5  6 

Nine  rooms i  i  2 

246  370  616 
Average    number    of    rooms 

per  family  4.0  3.2  3.5 

In  the  next  table,  the  returns  concerning  619  families   are 
grouped  according  to  size  of  family : 

Size  of  Family                                        White  Negro  Both 

(Including  Boarders)                               Families  Families  Races 

One  person 1 1  23  34 

Two  persons 21  86  107 

Three  persons  37  65  102 

Four  persons  41  70  m 

Five  persons 56  50  106 

Six  persons  29  41  70 

Seven  persons  18  20  38 

Eight  persons 17  g  25 

Nine  persons 10  4  14 

Ten  persons 3  3  5 

Eleven  persons o  i  i 

Twelve  persons   2  i  ? 

Thirteen  persons  i  i 

246  373  619 
Average    number   of    persons 

per  family   4.9  3<8  4<3 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  25 

The  next  table  shows  the  returns  concerning  1,170  bed-rooms 
grouped  according  to  the  number  of  occupants  per  bed-room  at 
night : 

Occupants  per  Bed-  Bed-Rooms 

Room  at  Night                                          White                        Negro  Total 

One  person 100                     183  283 

Two  persons 200                    327  527 

Three  persons 106                     106  212 

Four  persons    50                      36  86 

Five  persons 22                       19  41 

Six  persons  9                        4  13 

Seven  persons    3                        5  8 


490  680  1,170 

Average  number  of  occupants 

per  bed-room   2.5  2.1  2.3 


CHAPTER  III. 
HOUSING  ACCOMMODATIONS. 

One  of  the  greatest  needs  of  the  City  of  Richmond  as  dis- 
closed by  this  investigation,  is  a  sufficient  number  of  modern 
houses  for  its  working  people,  that  is,  for  the  large  group  of 
citizens  who  cannot  afford  to  pay  a  rental  of  over  $20  per  month. 
According  to  the  U.  S.  Census  returns  the  population  of  Rich- 
mond increased  from  80,050  in  1900  to  127,628  in  1910,  or  50  per 
cent.  During  the  same  period  the  number  of  families  increased 
from  17,845  to  26,914,  or  51  per  cent.,  and  the  number  of  dwell- 
ing houses  increased  from  14,201  to  22,205,  or  56  per  cent. 

This  is  shown  in  the  following  statement  obtained  from  the 
U.  S.  Census  Bureau: 

Population,    Number   of   Families,    and    Number    of    Occupied 
Dwellings  in  Richmond,  Va.,  in  1910,  by  Wards. 

Number  of     Persons          Number       Persons 
Occupied  per  of  per 

Wards  Population          Dwellings     Dwelling        Families        Family 

Cla7  .........  22,550  3,992  5.6  4,539  5.0 

HemT    .......  H,999  2,389  6.3  3,145  4.8 

Jefferson   .....  16,196  2,910  5.6  3,475  4.7 

Jfe  ..........  16,297  2,882  5.7  3,484  4.7 

Madison  ......  14,630  2,415  6.1  3,189  4.6 

Marshall  ......  18,021  3,469  5.2  3,959  4.7 

Monroe  .......  14,565  2,258  6.5  3,110  4.7 

Washington   ..  10,370  1,890  5.5  2,113  4-9 

T°tal  .....    127,628          22,205          57          26,914          4.7 

In  1900  the  figures  returned  for  the  wards  as  they  existed  at 
that  time  were  as  follows: 


22,133  3,851  5-8  4,518  4.9 

Jackson   ......  J8,/i3  3,279  57  4,219  44 

Jefferson   .....  8,817  1,529  5.8  2,053  4-3 

Madison  ......  8,005  1,174  6.8  1,584  5.1 

Marshall  ......  13,584  2,405  5.6  2,805  4-8 

Monr°e  .......  13798  1,963  6.5  2,666  5.2 

Total,....  85,050  14,201  6.0  17,845  4.8 


A  dilapidated  house  occupied  by  white  people  in  the  Church  Hill  section. 
This  and  many  other  houses  in  the  'vicinity  are  unfit  for  habitation. 


\ 


A  cheap-grade  zvorking  man's  house  in  the  white  section  of  Fulton.  Many 
of  these  houses  could  be  made  comfortable  and  attractive  if  painted 
and  repaired. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  27 

Lack  of  Good  Accommodations. — An  examination  of  the 
2,213  building  permits  for  dwelling  houses  (exclusive  of  houses 
with  stores  or  shops)  issued  by  the  Building  Inspector  of  the 
City  of  Richmond  during  the  five  years  ending  December  31, 
1912,  shows  that  32  houses  were  constructed  at  an  estimated 
cost  of  less  than  $500  each;  202  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $500  to 
$999;  272  at  $1,000  to  $i,499;  225  at  $1,500  to  $1,999;  and  1,482, 
or  about"  two-thirds,  at  an  estimated  cost  of  $2,000  and  over,  ex- 
clusive of  the  price  of  land. 

In  every  American  city,  of  which  Richmond  is  no  exception, 
the  great  mass  of  the  people  consists  of  the  skilled  and  unskilled 
wage  workers,  clerks  and  salesmen,  whose  average  family  in- 
come does  not  enable  them  to  pay  more  than  $20  per  month 
for  rent.  A  very  considerable  number  cannot  pay  more  than 
half  that  amount.  In  order  to  yield  a  fair  revenue  on  a  real 
estate  investment,  allowing  for  taxes,  repairs,  depreciation  of 
building,  cost  of  rent  collection,  vacancies,  etc.,  a  dwelling  should 
bring  a  gross  annual  rental  of  about  10  per  cent,  of  the  total  in- 
vestment. On  this  basis,  a  one-family  dwelling,  in  order  to  be 
accessible  to  the  average  wage-worker  or  clerk  must  not  cost 
over  $2,500,  including  the  price  of  land,  or  say,  $2,000  for  the 
building  alone.  Of  1,637  one-family  dwellings  constructed  in 
five  years  in  Richmond,  only  596,  or  a  little  over  one-third,  were 
constructed  at  a  cost  of  less  than  $2,000,  that  is,  were  within  the 
reach  of  the  average  clerk  or  wage-worker.  The  remaining  two- 
thirds  of  the  new  one-family  houses  were  either  for  people  earn- 
ing higher  salaries  or  for  those  who  had  to  deprive  themselves  of 
other  necessities  of  decent  living  or  keep  boarders  or  lodgers,  in 
order  to  pay  their  rents. 

Of  the  520  two-family  dwelling  houses  constructed  in  five 
years,  257  cost  less  than  $4,000  to  construct,  or,  in  other  words, 
less  than  one-half  were  of  a  cheap  enough  grade  to  be  accessible 
to  the  average  clerk  or  working  man.  Of  the  56  remaining 
buildings  constructed  for  three  or  more  apartments  each,  only 
15,  or  about  one-fourth  were  built  at  a  low  enough  cost  to  be 
so  accessible.  The  above  figures,  it  must  be  remembered, -in- 
clude buildings  used  for  dwelling  purposes  only,  and  do  not  in- 
clude those  used  for  both  business  and  dwelling  purposes. 

This  statement,  compiled  from  the  official  records  of  the  City 
Building  Department,  shows  beyond  dispute  that,  in  the  won- 
derful building  operations  which  have  been  going  on  during  the 
past  five  years,  the  great  mass  of  the  working  people  have  been 
lamentably  overlooked. 

The  following  table  and  map  show  the  number  of  new  dwell- 
ings for  which  building  permits  were  issued  during  the  past  five 
calendar  years,  grouped  according  to  the  number  of  apartments, 
value  and  location  of  each: 


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3<3  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

This  lack  of  new  building  constructions  for  the  working  peo- 
ple is  confirmed  by  the  investigation  made  by  this  Society,  which 
shows  that  in  the  selected  districts  where  working  people  live, 
very  few  new  houses  were  found.  Thus,  of  517  dwelling  houses 
occupied  by  from  one  to  five  families  each,  36,  or  7  per  cent., 
were  reported  as  being  new — that  is,  apparently  built  within  the 
past  ten  years. 

Dilapidation. — Most  of  the  houses  visited  were  more  or  less 
out  of  repair.  Only  157  out  of  a  total  of  520,  or  30  per  cent., 
were  reported  to  be  in  good  condition,  while  244,  or  47  per  cent., 
needed  some  repairs,  and  119,  or  23  per  cent.,  were  in  a  bad  con- 
dition of  repair,  many  being  absolutely  unfit  for  human  habita- 
tion. In  122  cases  the  roofs  leaked,  causing  damp  walls  and 
ceilings  in  the  living  and  sleeping  rooms.  The  proportion  of 
dilapidated  and  unfit  houses  was  very  much  greater  among  the 
negroes  than  among  the  whites,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
the  former  paid  more  rent  per  room  than  the  latter. 

The  following  statement  gives  this  information  in  detail  for 
the  white  and  negro  habitations : 

) 

Houses  Occupied  by 

White  Negro  All 

Age  of  Building-  Families  Families  Houses 

New  buildings   II  25  36 

Old  buildings 203  278  481 

Total  214  303  517 

Repair  of  Building 

Good 88         69        157 

Fair 103        141        244 

Bad  30         89        119 

Total 221        299        520 

Condition  of  Roof 

Good  172  187  359 

Leaking 36  86  122 

Total  reporting 208  273  481 

Character  of  Dwellings.— The  prevailing  type  of  dwellings  oc- 
cupied by  the  families  visited  is  the  old  two-story  frame  house, 
built  either  singly  or  in  rows,  each  house  being  built  for  one  fam- 
ily, although  frequently  used  by  two  or  more.  The  houses  visited 
usually  contained  two,  three  and  four  rooms  each.  Very  few  of 
the  buildings  have  water  and  toilet  facilities  within  the  houses  or 
apartments,  as  is  shown  in  the  next  chapter.  The  negro  families 
mostly  occupied  two  and  three-room  dwellings,  and  the  white 


Negro  dwellings  in  the  neglected  sections  of  Richmond,     These  are  unfit  for 
habitation. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  31 

i 

families  three  and  four-room  dwellings.  Otherwise  there  is  not 
very  much  difference  between  the  character  of  the  habitations  of 
the  whites  and  negroes  in  the  sections  studied,  except  that  the 
former  are,  as  a  rule,  in  a  better  condition  of  repair. 

Of  546  houses  for  which  returns  were  made,  405  were  of  frame, 
1 18  were  of  brick,  and  23  were  of  both  wood  and  brick  construc- 
tion. With  regard  to  height,  108  were  one-story,  425  were  two- 
story,  and  13  were  three-story  houses. 

Nearly  all  the  houses  in  the  sections  studied  were  situated 
on  the  street  front,  there  being  comparatively  few  rear  or  alley 
houses  in  Richmond. 

Of  the  546  houses  visited,  449,  or  82  per  cent,  ftvere  occu- 
pied by  one  family  each ;  85  by  two  families ;  and  the  remaining 
12  by  three  or  more  families. 

The  following  statement  gives  in  detail  the  results  of  the 
investigation  with  regard  to  the  character  of  546  houses  visited : 


Brick  Houses                                       White  Negro 

Occupied  by                                      Families  Families 

One  family  each 54  31 

Two  families 10  14 

Three  families 3  3 

Four  families o  2 

Five  families o  I 

Total 67  51 

Brick  and  Frame                                  White  Negrro 

Houses  Occupied  by                             Families  Families 

One  family  each 6  14 

Two  families I  I 

Three  families o  I 

Total 7  16 

Frame  Houses                                     White  Negro 

Occupied  by                                       Families  Families 

One  family  each 151  193 

Two  families 10  49 

Three  families I  I 

Total 162  243 

White  Negro 

Houses  of                                             Families  Families 

One  story 33  75 

Two  stories 196  229 

Three  stories 7  6 


Total 

85 

24 

6 

2 

I 
118 


Total 
2O 
2 
I 

23 

Total 

344 
59 

2 

405 


Total 

108 

425 

13 


Total 


236 


310 


520 


CHAPTER   IV. 
WATER  SUPPLY  AND  TOILET  FACILITIES. 

Very  few  of  the  houses  covered  by  the  investigation  had 
water  and  plumbing  arrangements  within  the  buildings;  a  still 
smaller  number  had  interior  water  closets,  and  only  13  had  bath- 
tubs. Some  of  the  houses  had  no  water  supply  at  all. 

Water  Supply. — Of  a  total  of  539  houses  for  which  returns 
were  made  concerning  the  water  supply,  358,  or  66  per  cent., 
had  city  water  in  the  yards;  119,  or  22  per  cent.,  had  water  with- 
in the  houses,  usually  in  the  kitchens;  2  houses  had  wells;  45 
houses  had  neither  wells  nor  city  water;  and  15  houses  had 
plumbing  facilities  in  the  yards,  but  the  water  had  been  turned 
off  at  the  time  of  the  visit  because  the  tenants  had  failed  to  pay 
the  water  tax.  Forty-two  of  the  houses  having  no  water  supply 
and  no  plumbing  facilities  were  occupied  by  negroes,  who,  in 
some  cases  had  to  carry  their  water  a  distance  of  as  much  as  a 
city  block. 

Toilet  Facilities. — Of  515  houses  for  which  returns  were  made 
concerning  toilet  facilities,  468  had  water  closets  and  47  had  dry 
closets.  Fifty-one  of  the  water  closets  were  within  buildings,  all 
the  others,  as  well  as  the  dry  closets,  being  in  the  yards. 

Wherever  water  closets  or  dry  closets  were  installed  in  yards, 
one  closet  usually  served  all  the  families  in  the  house  or  the 
group  of  houses  having  one  yard  in  common.  Thus  cases  were 
found  where  one  toilet  was  used  by  as  many  as  four,  five,  and 
six  families. 

In  the  cases  where  the  water  had  been  turned  off  on  account 
of  the  non-payment  of  the  water  tax,  some  of  the  families  con- 
tinued to  use  the  water  closets,  pouring  water  into  the  bowls 
occasionally;  in  some  cases  the  occupants  resumed  the  use  of 
dry  closets  which  had  been  discarded;  in  some  instances  they 
used  their  neighbors'  toilets ;  and  in  one  case  the  tenants  emptied 
the  refuse  in  the  shrubbery  on  a  vacant  lot. 

While  in  most  cases  the  water  closets  were  provided  with 
flush  tanks,  about  one-third  of  the  toilets  were  flushed  directly 
from  the  supply  pipes.  In  a  number  of  cases  the  flow  was  insuf- 
ficient to  clean  the  bowls,  and  the  tenants  either  had  to  pour  in 
water  or  allow  the  same  to  stop  up.  In  one-fifth  of  the  water 
closets  reported  upon,  the  plumbing  under  the  seat  was  enclosed 


Dilapidated  houses  along  the  Shockoe  valley. 
Confederate  Museum  in  the  background. 


upper  picture  shoivs  the 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  33 

\ 

in  wooden  casings,  the  plumbing  being  open  in  all  other  cases. 
All  water  closets  installed  in  recent  years,  however,  were  of  the 
modern,  open,  flush-tank  type,  as  the  plumbing  regulations 
require. 

In  general,  the  condition  of  the  plumbing  in  the  water  closets 
was  bad,  there  being  some  defect,  such  as  an  insufficient  flow  or 
no  flow  at  all,  broken  chains,  leaking  tanks,  stopped  up  or  leak- 
ing pipes,  broken  bowls,  continuous  flow,  etc.,  in  nearly  one- 
half  of  the  water  closets  used  by  the  negroes,  and  in  about  one- 
fourth  of  those  used  by  the  white  families  visited.  With  regard 
to  the  plumbing,  as  with  the  bad  condition  of  repair  of  the  houses, 
the  tenants  generally  stated  that  the  agents  and  landlords  paid 
no  attention  to  their  complaints.  Ninety-six  closets  were  re- 
ported dirty  and  53  filthy. 

Of  the  47  dry  closets  in  use,  in  10  the  boxes  were  found  to 
be  leaking;  in  18  there  were  either  no  screens  or  the  screens  were 
ineffective,  and  12  were  reported  in  a  dirty  or  filthy  condition. 

The  following  statement  gives  a  summary  of  the  returns,  for 
537  houses,  concerning  the  water  supply : 

Hydrants  in  Yards,  White  Negro 

each  used  by  Families  Families  Total 

One  family 142  128  270 

Two  families 20  54  74 

Three  families o  9  9 

Four  families o  I  I 

Five  families o  3  3 

Six  families o  I  I 

Total 162  196  358 

Hydrants  in  Buildings,  White  Negro 

each  used  by  Families  Families  Total 

One  family 53  61  114 

Two  families I  3  4 

Three  families i  o  i 

Total 55  64  119 

Hydrants  in  Yards,  but 

Water  turned  off,  White  Negro 

intended  for  the  use  of  Families  Families  Total 

One  family 8  5  13 

Two  families I  o  I 

Three  families I  O  I 

Total  .  10  5  T5 


34 


Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 


No  Water  Supply  in 
Houses  Occupied  by 


White 
Families 


Negro 
Families 


One  family 3 

Two  families o 

Total 3 


37 

5 

42 


Total 
40 

5 
45 


The  next  table  gives  the  returns,  for  514  houses,  concerning 
toilet  facilites: 


Water  Closets  in  Yards,  White 

each  used  by  Families 

One  family 179 

Two  families 24 

Three  families 3 

Four  families i 

Five  families I 

Six  families  . .  o 


Negro 
Families 

146 
56 

4 
o 

i 
i 


Total 

325 
80 

7 

i 

2 

I 


Total  .  208 


208 


416 


Water  Closets  in  Build-  White 

ings,  used  by  Families 

One  family 14 

Two  families  .  o 


Negro 
Families 

35 

2 


Total 

49 

2 


Total 14 


37 


Dry  Closets  in  Yards,  White 

each  used  by  Families 

One  family 5 

Two  families i 

Three  families o 

Total  .  6 


Negro 
Families 

32 

7 

2 


Total 
2 

47 


White 
Families 

Water  closets  provided 
with  flush  tanks 117 

Water  closets  not  pro- 
vided with  flush  tanks. .  75 

Total 192 


Negro 
Families 


141 

41 
182 


Total 
258 

116 
374 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  35 


White 

Negro 

Families 

Families 

Total 

Water    closet 

plumbing 

open  

145 

142 

287 

Water    closet 

plumbing 

enclosed   .... 

34 

43 

77 

Total       .  ,  , 

179 

185 

366 

White 

Negro 

Families 

Families 

Total 

Water    closet 

plumbing 

defective 

;  •  •       42 

78 

1  2O 

Water    closet 

plumbing 

not  defective 

130 

83 

213 

Total       ,  , 

173 

161 

333 

x 

White 

Negro 

Families 

Families 

Total 

Water  closet  drains  stop- 

ped up  

H 

17 

31 

Water  closet   drains   not 

stopped  up  .  . 

147 

37 

184 

Total 

161 

54 

215 

CHAPTER  V. 
THE  OCCUPANTS. 

Family  Income.— In  planning  this  investigation,  the  aim  has 
been  to  cover  localities  where  the  family  income  of  the  people 
does  not  exceed  $15  per  week.  It  was  found,  however,  that  fam- 
ilies having  much  larger  incomes  sometimes  live  in  these  locali- 
ties and  under  the  same  general  conditions  as  the  poorer  people. 
These  are  either  shop  keepers  who  carry  on  business  with  the 
people  among  whom  they  live;  skilled  workers  who  are  extrava- 
gant in  their  personal  expenditures,  usually  for  drink;  persons 
who  prefer  to  live  in  such  environments  when  they  can  afford 
to  live  in  other  localities ;  or  persons  who  are  forced  to  live  there 
because  there  are  no  accommodations  available  elsewhere. 

Statistics  concerning  the  family  income  were  obtained  from 
109  white  and  229  negro  families,  the  latter  being  more  willing 
to  give  information  of  this  character.  The  average  yearly  income 
per  white  family  responding  was  $731.86,  and  the  average  yearly 
income  of  a  negro  family  was  $516.23.  By  family  income  is 
meant,  for  the  purposes  of  this  study,  the  income  of  the  head 
of  the  family,  plus  moneys  received  from  other  members  of  the 
family  and  boarders  and  lodgers,  and  contributed  to  the  house- 
hold fund.  The  average  yearly  income  of  the  head  of  the  family 
alone  was  $589.58  in  the  case  of  the  white  wage  earners,  and 
$369.52  in  the  case  of  the  negroes. 

In  only  36  per  cent,  of  the  families  was  the  family  income 
derived  from  the  head  of  the  family  alone,  the  proportion  being 
higher  in  the  case  of  the  white  families  (44  per  cent.)  than  in 
the  case  of  the  negroes  (31  per  cent.).  In  other  words,  the 
wives  and  boarders  contributed  in  a  much  larger  degree  toward 
the  family  income  in  the  case  of  the  negroes  than  in  the  case  of 
the  white  families.  The  proportion  of  negro  families  in  which 
the  wife  contributed  to  the  family  income  was  particularly  large. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  proportion  of  families  which  derived  a 
part  of  the  family  income  from  the  children,  appears  to  be  greater 
among  the  white  than  among  the  negro  families. 

Boarders. — Among  boarders  were  included  in  this  study,  all 
persons  who  were  not  members  of  the  immediate  family,  and 
even  children  were  regarded  as  boarders  when  married  and  liv- 
ing with  their  husbands  or  wives  with  their  parents.  Of  615 
families  making  reply  to  the  inquiry  concerning  the  composition 


iaiaMiiMi^f .. 


Toilet  facilities  in  the  neglected  sections.     The  upper  picture  shows  a  dry 
closet  close  to  a  well.     The  lower  picture  shows  a  filthy  water  closet. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  37 

of  the  family,  205,  or  one-third,  kept  boarders.  In  100  cases  the 
boarders  were  related  to  the  head  of  the  family,  in  95  cases  the 
boarders  were  not  so  related,  and  in  10  cases  the  families  had 
both  related  and  unrelated  boarders. 

The  number  of  boarders  in  a  family  ranged  all  the  way  from 
one  to  eight,  although  in  about  one-half  of  the  cases  the  families 
had  but  one  boarder  each.  Of  the  white  families,  67  per  cent., 
and  of  the  negro  families,  60  per  cent,  had  no  boarders. 

Rents  Paid. — Considering  the  amount  of  rent  paid  for  a  given 
land  space  in  the  sections  studied,  the  ground  on  which  the  work- 
ing people's  homes  stand  does  not  yield  nearly  as  great  a  revenue 
to  the  owners  as  it  would  if  the  same  ground  were  economically 
utilized.  Furthermore,  the  working  people  of  both  races  in  the 
sections  studied,  could  afford  to  pay  more  rent  if  proper  accom- 
modations were  furnished  them.  This  is  especially  true  of  the 
white  people. 

The  amount  of  rent  paid  was  ascertained  in  the  case  of  484 
families,  of  whom  186  were  white  and  298  were  negroes.  The 
white  families  reporting  paid  an  average  of  $6.75  per  month  per 
dwelling,  or  $1.80  per  room,  while  the  negro  families  paid  an 
average  of  $6.27  per  month  per  dwelling,  or  $2.08  per  room.  It 
will  thus  be  observed  that  the  negroes  pay  $0.28  per  room,  or 
14  per  cent,  more  than  the  white  families,  or  a  difference  of  $0.84 
for  a  three-room  dwelling,  the  negro  accommodations  being,  as  a 
rule,  inferior,  from  the  standpoint  of  plumbing,  age,  and  repair, 
to  those  of  the  white  families. 

The  prevailing  types  of  three  and  four-room  dwellings  occu- 
pied by  white  families  rented  for  $5.00,  $6.00  and  $7.00  each  per 
month.  The  prevailing  types  of  negro  dwellings  of  two  and 
three  rooms  each  likewise  rented  for  from  $5.00  to  $7.00  per 
month.  That  the  families  covered  by  this  investigation  could 
afford  to  pay  higher  rents  if  better  accommodations  were  fur- 
nished them,  is  shown  by  the  figures  of  family  income.  Accord- 
ing to  returns  made  for  families  from  whom  both  the  rents  paid 
and  the  family  income  were  ascertained,  the  average  white  fam- 
ily paid  1 1.2  per  cent,  and  the  average  negro  family  14.5  per  cent, 
of  the  family  income  for  rent.  Working  people  in  the  chief  in- 
dustrial centers  of  the  country  ordinarily  pay  from  15  to  25  per 
cent,  of  their  family  income  for  rent.  On  the  basis  of  20  per 
cent.,  therefore,  the  average  white  family  studied  could  pay  a 
monthly  rental  of  $5.00  more,  and  the  average  negro  family  $2.00 
more,  provided  suitable  accommodations  were  furnished  them 
in  place  of  their  present  neglected  dwellings.  It  should  be  em- 
phasized, however,  that  the  present  dwellings  of  the  families 
studied  are  not,  as  a  rule,  worth  the  rents  paid  for  them,  many 
being  unfit  for  human  habitation. 


38  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

In  the  comparatively  few  instances  where  new,  comfortable 
houses  were  found  in  the  districts  studied,  the  rents  were  high 
and  the  occupants  paid  a  much  larger  proportion  of  their  family 
incomes  for  rent. 

The  relation  between  the  average  rents  paid  and  the  average 
income  of  the  heads  of  families  (exclusive  of  all  other  income) 
was  13.9  per  cent,  in  the  case  of  white,  and,  20.2  in  the  case  of 
negro  occupants. 

Home  Ownership. — Of  226  white  families  making  returns  con- 
cerning home  ownership,  23,  or  about  10  per  cent,  owned  their 
homes,  the  rest  paying  rent.  Of  337  negro  families,  30,  or  about 
9  per  cent,  owned  their  homes.  In  nearly  all  cases,  both  among 
the  white  and  negro  families,  the  houses  owned  by  the  occupants 
were  in  good  repair,  the  plumbing  was  in  order,  and  the  premises 
were  clean. 

Following  is  a  summary  statement  of  the  returns  concerning 
the  economic  condition  of  the  families  studied: 

Monthly  Rentals  Paid  by  White  and  Negro  Families 
(186  White  and  298  Negro  Families). 

Monthly  Rents  Exclusive  of  Water  Tax 
White  Families  Negro  Families 

Rooms  per  Average  per         Average  per       Average  per       Average  per 

Dwelling  Dwelling  Room  Dwelling  Room 

One  room $  2.29  $2.29  $2.14  $2.14 

Two  rooms 4.70  2.35  4.55  2.28 

Three  rooms 5.76  1.92  6.17  2.06 

Four  rooms 7.14  1.78  8.15  2.04 

Five  rooms 8.05  1.61  8.83  1.77 

Six  rooms 10.27  1.71  .... 

Average    rent    per 

family 6.75  1.80  6.27  2.08 

Annual  Income  and  Rents  Paid  by  White  and  Negro  Families 
(109  White  and  229  Negro  Families). 

White  Negro 

Families  Families 

Average  yearly  income  per  family $731.86  $516.23 

Average  yearly  income  per  head  of  family. .     589.58  369.52 

Average  yearly  rent,  exclusive  of  water  tax,   .   81.98  74.81 

Per  cent,  of  family  income  paid  for  rent.  ..        11.2  14.5 
Per  cent,  of  income  of  head  of  family  paid 

for  rent I3.9  2O>2 


White  and  negro   children  living  in   some   of  the   districts  covered  by  the 
report. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va. 


39 


Source  of  Family  Income 
(231  White  and  362  Negro  Families). 

White  Negro 

Families  Families 

Head  of  family  only 101  112 

Head  and  wife 8  66 

Head  and  children 53  44 

Head,  wife  and  children 8  15 

Children  only '. 12  7 

Wife  and  children I  o 

Boarders  only o  I 

Head  and  boarders 28  83 

Wife  and  boarders I  o 

Head,  wife  and  boarders o  17 

Head,  children  and  boarders 10  12 

Head,  wife,  children  and  boarders I  2 

Children  and  boarders 8  3 

Total 231  362 


Boarders  and  Lodgers  in  Private  Families 
(245  White  and  370  Negro  Families). 

White  Negro 

Families  having  neither  boarders  nor 

lodgers 178  232 

Families  having  related  boarders  or 

lodgers 32  68 

Families  having  unrelated  boarders  or 

lodgers 33  62 

Families  having  both  related  and  unre- 
lated boarders  or  lodgers 2 

Total 245  370 


Both 
Races 


410 
100 

95 

IO 

615 


Occupations. — About  one-third  of  the  251  white  male  adult 
wage  earners  whose  occupations  were  reported,  were  either  fac- 
tory hands  or  day  laborers,  the  remainder  being  engaged  in  73 
different  occupations,  a  considerable  number  being  in  skilled 
occupations  such  as  barbers,  boiler  makers,  carpenters,  engi- 
neers, machinists,  molders,  painters,  plumbers,  steam  fitters, 
tailors,  etc.  There  were  also  some  grocers,  liquor  dealers,  fruit 
and  vegetable  vendors,  salesmen  and  clerks  among  the  number. 


4O  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

Of  376  male  negro  adult  wage  earners,  about  two-thirds  were 
day  laborers,  factory  hands,  drivers  and  teamsters  and  porters, 
the  remainder  being  engaged  in  67  different  skilled  and  unskilled 
and  professional  trades.  The  skilled  workers  were  mostly  bar- 
bers, blacksmiths,  carpenters,  chauffeurs,  concrete  workers, 
lathers,  machinists,  and  plasterers.  There  were  also  some  but- 
lers, cooks,  janitors,  and  waiters,  and  a  number  of  clergymen 
among  the  occupants. 

Two-thirds  of  the  83  white  female  adult  wage  earners  were 
factory  hands,  most  of  the  remaining  one-third  being  dress- 
makers, seamstresses  and  laundresses.  Of  the  negro  female  adult 
workers  about  one-half  were  laundresses,  one-third  were  cooks, 
maids,  and  other  domestic  servants,  and  the  remainder  were 
mostly  seamstresses  and  factory  hands. 

The  white  and  negro  male  children  under  18  years  of  age 
were  mostly  factory  hands  and  laborers,  while  of  the  female 
wage-earning  children  the  whites  were  nearly  all  factory  hands, 
and  the  negroes  were  mostly  domestic  servants.  It  is  interesting 
to  note  in  this  connection  that  of  the  88  white  children  and  the 
99  negro  children  between  the  ages  of  14  and  17  inclusive,  of 
the  families  visited,  56  per  cent,  of  the  white  children,  and  35 
per  cent,  of  the  negro  children  were  engaged  in  gainful  occu- 
pations. 

Illiteracy. — A  large  degree  of  illiteracy  was  found  both  among 
the  white  and  negro  families  visited.  Of  a  total  of  789  white 
persons  9  years  of  age  and  over,  71,  or  9.0  per  cent,  were  illit- 
erate, and  of  a  total  of  1,100  negroes,  228,  or  20.7  were  unable 
either  to  read  or  write.  The  proportion  of  illiterates  was  slightly 
higher  among  the  females  than  among  the  males  in  each  of  the 
two  races.  It  was  higher  among  adults  than  among  children. 
Of  the  illiterate  whites,  56,  or  79  per  cent,  were  native  Americans, 
and  15,  or  21  per  cent.,  were  foreign  born.  Forty-six  of  the  56 
native  white  illiterates  were  born  in  Virginia. 

According  to  the  U.  S.  Census  returns  for  1910,  the  propor- 
tion of  illiterates  in  the  entire  City  of  Richmond  was  1.3  per 
cent,  in  (the  case  of  the  whites,  and  19.6  per  cent,  ajnong  the 
negroes. 

Following  is  a  summary  statement  of  the  facts  ascertained 
concerning  illiteracy  among  the  persons  visited  during  the  in- 
vestigation : 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va. 


Persons  able  to  Both 

read  and  write                                        White  Negro  Races 

Males,  18  years  of  age  and  over 241  306  547 

Females,  18  years  of  age  and  over. . .  .  252  359  611 

Males,  9  to  17  years  of  age 84  79  163 

Females,  9  toi7  years  of  age 109  93  202 

Total   686  837  1,523 

Persons  able  to  read,  Both 

but  not  to  write                                             White  Negro  Races 

Males,  18  years  of  age  and  over 12  10  22 

Females,  18  years  of  age  and  over. ...     19  23  42 

Males,  9  to  17  years  of  age i  2  3 

Females,  9  to  17  years  of  age o  o  o 

Total   32  35  67 

Persons  unable  to  Both 

read  or  write                                                    White  Negro  Races 

Males,  18  years  of  age  and  over 27  87  114 

Females,  i§  years  of  age  and  over 35  123  158 

Males,  9  to  17  years  of  age 6  15  21 

Females,  9  to  17  years  of  age 3  3  6 

Total  71  228  299 

Both 

Per  cent,  of  Illiterates                                      White  Negro  Races 

Males,  18  years  of  age  and  over 10  22  17 

Females,  18  years  of  age  and  over.           n  24  19 

Males,  9  to  17  years  of  age 7  16  n 

Females,  9  to  17  years  of  age 3  3  3 


Total   9 


21 


16 


CHAPTER  VI. 
STREETS,  ALLEYS,  AND  YARDS. 

A  survey  of  practically  all  the  streets  and  alleys  and  of  sev- 
eral thousand  back  yards  made  by  the  secretary  of  the  society 
before  the  inauguration  of  the  "clean-up"  campaign,  disclosed 
conditions  about  as  bad  as  could  be  found  in  any  city.  There 
was  scarcely  a  street  for  a  distance  of  a  block  or  two  that  was 
not  littered  with  more  or  less  paper  and  other  rubbish,  except, 
of  course,  for  a  few  hours  after  the  streets  had  been  cleaned. 
Some  of  the  streets  and  alleys  in  the  poorer  sections,  particu- 
larly where  the  negroes  live,  appeared  as  though  they  had  never, 
been  cleaned. 

Condition  of  Streets. — The  habit  of  throwing  rubbish  on  the 
streets  seems  to  be  universal  in  Richmond.  People  may  be 
seen  at  any  time  deliberately  throwing  whole  newspapers,  wrap- 
ping paper,  torn  letters,  paper  boxes  and  other  discarded  articles 
on  the  streets  and  sidewalks;  circulars  are  scattered  broadcast; 
employees  of  many  business  houses  when  unpacking  goods  cases 
habitually  throw  the  paper  and  packing  materials  in  the  streets 
and  alleys  or  place  them  in  unsuitable  receptacles  where  a  mod- 
erate wind  can  blow  them  about.  Children,  too,  following  the 
example  of  their  elders,  tear  up-  paper  and  scatter  it  about  on 
the  streets. 

Not  infrequently  people  in  cleaning  their  yards  and  sidewalks 
sweep  paper  and  other  rubbish  on  the  streets  soon  after  they 
have  been  cleaned  by  the  city  employees,  when  they  could  just 
as  well  have  done  it  a  little  earlier.  Besides,  paper  and  larger 
pieces  of  rubbish  could  at  such  times  be  picked  up  and  placed 
in  proper  receptacles  without  much  additional  labor. 

Very  often — one  might  almost  say  usually — in  front  of  stores 
and  other  business  houses  and  under  vendors'  wagons  where 
fruit  and  vegetables  are  sold  and  handled,  the  trade  refuse  is 
thrown  on  the  streets  and  in  the  alleys  where  it  sometimes  re- 
mains, becomes  putrid,  and  furnishes  food  for  swarms  of  flies. 
Cases  have  been  observed  where  this  process  of  littering  the 
streets  with  garbage  was  resumed  immediately  after  the  streets 
were  cleaned  and  while  the  carts  of  the  Street  Cleaning  Depart- 
ment were  still  in  sight.  This  happens  most  conspicuously  in 
the  down-town  district,  where  the  wholesale  commission  houses 


a//ry.y  i«   f/ie  neglected  sections,  the  upper  one  in  the  northwest,  the 
lower,  in  the  Shockoc  valley. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  43 

are,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  markets,  but  also  in  other  parts 
of  the  city  where  fruits  and  vegetables  are  sold. 

Another  source  of  uncleanliness  is  the  overloading  of  carts 
and  wagons  with  earth,  ashes,  garbage  and  other  refuse,  and  the 
use  of  unsuitable  vehicles,  resulting  in  the  dropping  of  their 
contents  upon  the  streets.  Such  carts  and  wagons  are  frequently 
seen  on  the  principal  thoroughfares,  leaving  trails  of  dirt  and 
refuse  behind  them. 

The  presence  of  many  unpaved  streets  in  close  proximity  to 
those  that  are  paved,  especially  in  sections  where  there  is  much 
traffic,  results  in  the  carrying  of  mud  and  dust  from  the  one  to 
the  other,  and  no  amount  of  work  by  the  Street  Cleaning  Depart- 
ment can  keep  the  latter  clean. 

An  examination  of  the  annual  reports  of  the  Superintendent 
of  the  Street  Cleaning  Department  shows  that  year  after  year 
he  has  called  attention  to  these  difficulties,  but  apparently  with- 
out effect.  Under  such  circumstances  the  most  efficient  street 
cleaning  service  that  could  be  created  could  not  keep  the  streets 
and  alleys  clean. 

Refuse. — Similar  difficulties  confront  the  Street  Cleaning  De- 
partment with  reference  to  the  collection  of  garbage,  ashes  and 
other  refuse.  Visits  made  to  thousands  of  back  yards  in  all 
)arts  of  the  city  show  that  but  a  small  proportion  of  the  people 
n  Richmond  use  suitable  receptacles  for  their  household  and 
:rade  refuse,  and  even  where  they  have  them,  they  are  often 
careless  in  their  use.  Every  conceivable  kind  of  receptacle  has 
)een  found  for  the  deposit  of  garbage,  including  paper  bags,  car- 
:ons,  baskets,  sauce  pans,  beer  cases,  broken  barrels,  packing 
Doxes,  and  even  piano  cases.  In  the  Fulton  section,  in  the  old 
[ackson  Ward  and  some  other  localities,  garbage  and  other  per- 
shable  household  and  trade  waste  have  been  found  in  consider- 
able quantities  on  vacant  lots,  the  people  in  some  cases  claiming 
that  they  never  see  a  garbage  collector,  and  that  this  is  the  only 
way  in  which  they  can  dispose  of  their  refuse. 

Ashes  were  most  frequently  found  deposited  in  boxes,  bar- 
rels and  cases,  some  of  the  latter  being  too  heavy  for  half  a 
dozen  men  to  lift.  The  barrels  were  usually  defective,  so  that 
when  handled  it  was  impossible  for  the  collectors  to  avoid  drop- 
Ding  some  of  their  contents  into  the  yards  and  alleys.  Some- 
times, mountains  of  ashes  mixed  here  and  there  with  garbage, 
were  found  in  the  back  yards,  even  in  the  fashionable  sections 
of  the  city. 

The  practice  of  mixing  combustile  with  non-combustible  re- 
'use  appears  also  to  be  common  in  Richmond,  especially  the  mix- 
ng  of  ashes,  paper,  rags,  old  shoes,  etc.,  but  not  infrequently 


44  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

garbage  also.  The  result  is  that  all  this  perishable  rubbish  is 
carried  to  the  dumps,  which  are  mostly  in  close  proximity  to 
the  dwellings  of  the  working  people,  where  it  becomes  putrid, 
breeds  flies,  rats  and  other  vermin,  and  thus  becomes  a  menace 
to  health  and  a  most  offensive  nuisance  to  the  neighborhoods. 
Furthermore,  these  dumps  are  picked  over  by  swarms  of  poor 
people,  who  fill  their  bags  with  the  pickings  and  thus  carry  more 
or  less  of  this  putrid  matter  back  into  their  homes.  Sometimes 
the  refuse  on  the  dumps  takes  fire,  and  then  for  days  and  weeks 
the  people  in  their  vicinity  must  submit  to  the  smoke  and  noxious 
fumes,  and,  at  times,  even  their  houses  are  jeopardized  by  these 
fires. 

Back  Yards. — Besides  the  personal  observations  of  the  Secre- 
tary as  outlined  above,  the  investigators  engaged  upon  the  house- 
to-house  survey  of  the  housing  and  living  conditions  noted  on 
their  cards,  among  other  facts,  information  concerning  the  con- 
dition of  the  back  yards.  Of  450  yards  observed  by  these  inves- 
tigators, 179  were  reported  fairly  free  from  rubbish,  216  had 
some  rubbish  scattered  about,  while  55  were  badly  littered  with 
rubbish  of  all  kinds.  The  general  condition  of  168  of  these  yards 
was  reported  as  dirty,  and  85  filthy.  Stagnant  water  was  re- 
ported in  54  of  the  yards  observed. 

All  of  these  conditions  need  the  careful  attention  of  the  citi- 
zens. Some  of  them  can  be  corrected  or  avoided  by  the  enforce- 
ment of  existing  laws,  but  some  cannot.  Unless  public  opinion 
is  aroused  to  the  necessity  of  keeping  the  yards  and  lots  clean, 
exercising  greater  care  in  the  use  of  sufficient  and  proper  recep- 
tacles, separating  combustible  from  non-combustible  refuse,  and 
properly  placing  these  receptacles  so  that  they  may  always 
be  easily  accessible  to  the  collectors,  the  Street  Cleaning  Depart- 
ment cannot  deal  with  the  refuse  problem  as  it  should  be  dealt 
with,  and  no  amount  of  increase  in  its  efficiency  will  enable  it  to 
do  so.  If  the  refuse  is  properly  placed  in  the  receptacles  and  if 
the  collections  are  regularly  made  by  the  Street  Cleaning  Depart- 
ment, there  will  be  no  occasion  for  rubbish-littered  yards. 

Garbage  Receptacles. — Of  457  cases  for  which  returns  were 
made  by  investigators  concerning  garbage  receptacles,  278  fam- 
ilies were  reported  to  have  receptacles  of  some  kind,  while  179 
had  no  receptacles  whatever  for  garbage.  Of  the  latter,  27  fam- 
ilies reported  that  they  burn  the  garbage;  34,  that  the  garbage 
is  fed  to  the  chickens  and  other  animals;  2,  that  the  garbage  is 
carried  to  the  country ;  8,  that  it  is  thrown  in  the  yards ;  12,  that 
it  is  thrown  on  the  dumps;  3,  that  it  is  given  away;  and  II 
householders  reported  that  the  garbage  is  thrown  on  the  neigh- 
boring lots. 


Two  tf/f/iy 


i»  the  neglected  sections  of  Richmond. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  45 

Ash  Receptacles. — Returns  concerning  ash  receptacles  were 
made  in  the  case  of  418  families.  Of  these,  289  had  receptacles 
and  129  had  none.  Of  the  latter,  7  families  reported  that  they 
use  the  ashes  for  filling  wells  and  other  depressions ;  22,  that  the 
ashes  are  thrown  in  the  yards;  16,  that  they  are  thrown  on  the 
dumps;  and  12,  that  they  are  thrown  on  vacant  lots. 

Stables. — In  32  cases  stables  were  found  on  the  premises 
visited,  all  but  two  of  which  were  of  wood  construction.  Returns 
concerning  the  material  of  the  floor  were  made  in  22  cases,  and 
of  these,  17  stables  had  earth  floors,  three  had  floors  of  wood, 
one  had  a  concrete  floor,  and  one  had  a  brick  floor.  The  condi- 
tion with  regard  to  cleanliness  was  reported  in  24  cases,  10  stables 
being  found  to  be  clean,  9  dirty,  and  5  filthy. 

Animals. — One  hundred  of  the  families  visited  kept  chickens 
on  their  premises,  88  kept  dogs,  4  kept  pigeons,  4  rabbits,  2  goats, 
and  i  kept  a  cow. 

Other  Outhouses. — Of  373  premises  concerning  which  re- 
turns were  made  of  the  condition  of  fuel  sheds,  258  had  sheds 
which  were  reported  clean,  76  dirty,  and  41  filthy.  Poultry 
houses  were  reported  clean  in  36  cases,  dirty  in  14  cases,  and 
filthy  in  9  cases. 


PART  II. 

Legislation 

CHAPTER  VII. 
BUILDING  REGULATIONS. 

In  order  to  determine  what  remedial  legislation  may  be 
needed  to  ameliorate  the  housing  and  living  conditions  in  Rich- 
mond, it  was  necessary  to  make  a  careful  examination  of  the 
City  Code,  copies  of  regulations  on  file  in  the  various  city  de- 
partments, etc. 

There  are  but  few  dwelling  or  tenement  house  laws  other 
than  general  health  and  plumbing  regulations  and  building 
regulations  enacted  to  secure  structural  safety  which  apply  to 
buildings  generally.  Only  such  of  these  as  are  of  special  in- 
terest in  this  study  are  considered  here.  Following  is  a  brief 
statement  of  such  laws  and  regulations  at  present  in  force,  to- 
gether with  such  suggestions  for  their  amendment  or  for  new 
legislation  as  is  deemed  advisable  by  the  Committee  on  Law 
Enforcement. 

The  building  laws  and  ordinances  are  made  by  the  City 
Council,  and  are  enforced  by  a  Building  Inspector,  elected  by 
the  Administrative  Board,  who  has  power  to  make  general 
rules  and  regulations  concerning  the  construction,  maintenance, 
repair,  or  removal  of  walls,  buildings,  or  other  structures,  not 
inconsistent  with  the  Building  Code.  He  may  modify  the  pro- 
visions of  the  Building  Code  in  exceptional  cases  where  there 
are  practical  difficulties  in  the  way  of  carrying  out  the  strict 
letter  of  the  Code.  He  is  required  to  report  to  the  Police  Justice 
violations  of  the  Building  Code  and  Regulations.  (Chap.  LIX., 
sees,  i  and  2.) 

The  following  are  definitions  of  building  terms  used  in  th( 
Richmond  Building  Code: 


above  are  illustrations  of  an  alley  and  three  back  yards  in  one  of  the 
most  fashionable  residence  sections  of  Richmond.  The  lower  right 
Jiand  picture  shoia's  the  kind  of  receptacles  that  are  sometimes  used  for 
ashes  and  garbage.  The  upper  right  hand  picture  shows  a  city  employee 
picking  up  a  heap  of  refuse  that  had  been  dumped  in  an  alley. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  47 

DEFINITIONS. 

Building. — Any    structure    having    a    roof,    whether 
with  or  without  one  or  more  enclosing  walls,  is  consid- 
ered to  come  within  the  operations  of  the  Building  Code 
(Chap.  LX,,  sec.  2.) 

Private  Dwelling. — This  means  any  building  which  is 
intended  or  designed  for,  or  used  as,  the  home  or  resi- 
dence of  not  more  than  three  separate  and  distinct  fam- 
ilies or  households,  and  in  which  not  more  than  ten  (10) 
rooms  shall  be  used  for  the  accommodation  of  boarders, 
and  no  part  of  which  structure  is  used  as  a  store  or  for 
any  business  purpose.  (Chap.  LX.,  sec.  7.) 

Two  or  more  such  dwellings  may  be  connected  on  each 
story  when  used  for  boarding  purposes,  provided  the  halls 
and  stairs  of  each  are  left  unaltered.  (Chap.  LX.,  sec.  7.) 

Apartment  or  Tenement  House. — This  includes  every 
building  three  or  more  stories  in  height  which  is  intended 
or  designed  for  or  used  as  the  home  or  residence  of  more 
than  three  families.  (Chap.  LX.,  sec.  8.) 

Lodging  House. — This  includes  any  house  or  building 
or  portion  thereof  in  which  persons  are  harbored  or  lodged 
for  hire  for  a  single  night  or  less  than  a  week  at  a  time, 
or  any  part  of  which  is  let  for  any  person  to  sleep  in,  for 
any  term  less  than  a  week. 

Hotel. — A  hotel  is  a  building,  or  part  thereof,  intended, 
designed  or  used  for  supplying  food  and  shelter  to  resi- 
dents or  guests  and  having  a  general  public  dining-room 
or  a  cafe,  or  both,  and  containing  also  more  than  fifteen 
(15)  sleeping  rooms  above  the  first  story.  (Chap.  LX., 
sec.  10.) 

Apartment  Hotel. — This  includes  every  hotel  in  which 
apartments  are  rented  or  are  intended  or  designed  to  be 
rented  in  suite,  and  for  terms  not  less  than  one  (i)  month 
and  in  which  there  are  no  kitchens,  dining-rooms,  or  serv- 
ing rooms  within  the  apartments,  but  where  a  common 
dining-room  is  provided  for  the  use  of  the  tenants.  (Chap. 
LX.,  sec.  10.) 

Office  Building.— An  office  building  is  a  building  which 
is  divided  into  rooms  above  the  first  story  and  intended 
and  used  for  office  purposes,  and  of  which  no  part  is 
used  for  living  purposes,  excepting  by  the  janitor  and  his 
family.  (Chap.  LX.,  sec.  n.) 


48  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

Frame  Building. — This  means  (i)  buildings  or  struc- 
tures of  which  the  exterior  walls  or  a  portion  thereof,  are 
constructed  of  wood;  (2)  buildings  sheathed  with  boards 
and  partially  or  entirely  covered  with  four  inches  of  brick 
or  stone;  (3)  wood  frames  covered  with  metal,  whether 
the  frames  are  sheathed  or  not  with  boards.  (Chap.  LX., 
sec.  12.) 

Basement  and  Cellar. — A  basement  is  that  portion  of  a 
building  the  floor  of  which  is  below  the  curb  level  at  the 
center  of  the  front  of  the  building,  more  than  one  foot, 
and  not  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  height  of  said  por- 
tion measuring  from  floor  to  ceiling. 

A  cellar  is  the  lowest  portion  of  a  building,  the  floor  of 
which  is  below  the  curb  level  at  the  center  of  the  front 
of  the  building,  more  than  three-fourths  of  the  height  of 
said  portion  measuring  from  the  floor  to  the  ceiling. 
(Chap.  LX.,  sec.  34.) 

TENEMENT  AND  APARTMENT  HOUSES. 

As  shown  in  the  definition  of  a  tenement  or  apartment  house, 
it  is  a  building  three  or  more  stories  high  which  is  intended  or 
designed  for,  or  is  used,  as  the  home  or  residence  of  more  than 
three  families.  If  the  building  is  not  more  than  two  stories 
high,  or  if  it  is  intended  or  designed  for  or  used  by  less  than  four 
families,  it  is  a  private  dwelling,  and  the  apartment  or  tenement 
house  regulations  do  not  apply  to  it. 

The  usual  standard  of  what  constitutes  a  tenement  or  apart- 
ment house  is  three  or  more  families,  and  some  tenement  house 
laws  set  the  figures  at  two  families.  The  provision  of  the  Rich- 
mond Code  that  it  must  be  over  two  stories  high  to  constitute 
a  tenement  or  apartment  house  should  be  eliminated.  The  evil 
conditions  which  make  it  expedient  to  legislate  specially  for 
tenement  or  apartment  houses  exist  in  two-story  houses  just 
as  well  as  in  houses  of  three  or  more  stories.  The  definition 
suggested  by  Mr.  Lawrence  Veiller  in  a  recent  work*  is  recom- 
mended, namely,  "a  tenement  house  is  any  house  or  building, 
or  portion  thereof,  which  is  rented,  leased,  let  or  hired  out,  to 
be  occupied,  or  is  occupied,  or  is  intended,  arranged  or  designed 
to  be  occupied  as  the  home  or  residence  of  three  families  of 
more  living  independently  of  each  other,  and  doing  their  cook- 
ing upon  the  premises,  and  having  a  common  right  in  the  hall, 
stairways,  yard,  cellar,  water  closets  or  privies  or  some  of  them, 
and  includes  apartment  houses  and  flat  houses." 

*  "A  Model  Tenement  House  Law,"  by  Lawrence  Veiller,  1910. 


This  shows  one  of  the  unsightly  dumps  along  Shockoe  Creek,  near  the  heart 
of  the  city.  These  dumps  are  close  to,  and  in  some  cases  touch  the 
working  people's  homes. 


This  picture  shows  some  of  the  objects  that  are  regularly  thrown  upon  the 
dumps. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va. 


40 


SAFETY,   LIGHT   AND   VENTILATION. 

Height  of  Building. — Buildings,  unless  fireproof,  are  not  per- 
mitted to  be  erected  in  Richmond  to  a  greater  height  than  sixty- 
five  feet.  (Chap.  LX.,  sec.  29.) 

For  tenement  or  apartment  houses,  a  better  standard  would 
be  a  maximum  height  of  three  stories  for  all  non-fire  proof  build- 
ings. 

Thickness  of  Walls. — For  dwellings  or  apartment  houses, 
twenty-seven  feet  or  less  in  width  between  bearing  walls  or 
bearings,  the  minimum  thickness  of  all  independent  surround-^ 
ing  and  dividing  walls  in  the  same,  carrying  the  load  of  floors 
and  roofs,  must  be  in  accordance  with  the  following  table,  but 
no  party  wall  may  be  less  than  thirteen  inches  in  thickness 
throughout  its  entire  height. 


Dwelling  House  Class—  Brick  Walls 

(Minimum  Thickness  in  Inches). 

Basement 


Height 


. 

3     to 
ifl      CQ  O 


Stories 


13 


One  story  .........    16 

Two  stories  .......   20  13  13  9  ...... 

Three   stories  ......   20  13  13  13  9 

Four  stones  .......   20  18  13  13  13  13 

Five  stories  .......   20  18  13  13  13  13  13 

Six  stories  .........   24  22  18  13  13  13  13    13 

Seven  stories  ......  24  22  18  18  13  13  13    13    13 

Eight  stories  ......  28  27  22  18  18  18  18    13    13    13 

Nine  stories  .......   28  27  22  22  18  18  18    18    13    13 


89 


10 


13 


Ten  stories  ........   32    31    27   22    22   22    18    18    18    18    13    13 

(Chap.  LX.,  sec.  3O-a.) 

This  provision  appears  to  be  entirely  satisfactory. 

Common  Halls  and  Staircases.  —  The  only  regulations  in  the 
Richmond  Code  concerning  halls  and  stairs  in  tenement  houses 
are  such  as  provide  for  safety  in  case  of  fire.  (Chap.  LX.,  sec. 
50.) 


50  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

i 

There  is  no  provision  for  lighting  or  ventilating  common 
halls  in  tenement  or  apartment  houses.  To  insure  ample  light 
and  ventilation  in  halls  and  stairways,  there  should  be  at  least 
one  window  of  sufficient  dimensions  at  each  story,  opening 
directly  upon  the  outer  air.  Dark  halls  in  tenement  houses  are 
not  only  storage  places  for  filth  and  rubbish  and  breeding  places 
for  disease  germs,  but,  being  used  in  common  by  the  tenants, 
they  are  conducive  to  immorality. 

In  existing  tenement  or  apartment  houses  where  the  halls 
and  stairs  do  not  have  windows  to  the  outer  air  and  it  is  imprac- 
ticable to  provide  such  windows,  or  where  they  are  lighted  and 
ventilated  by  courts  too  small  in  size  to  admit  sufficient  day- 
light, artificial  light  should  be  required  during  the  day  time  on 
each  floor  in  the  hallway  near  the  stairs.  All  common  halls  in 
tenement  houses  should  be  lighted  at  night. 

Lighting  and  Ventilation  of  Rooms. — The  only  provision  in 
the  Building  Code  concerning  lighting  and  ventilation  of  dwell- 
ings or  tenement  houses,  is  a  paragraph  which  provides  that  "In 
every  apartment  or  tenement  house  hereafter  erected,  every 
room,  except  water-closet  compartments,  bath  rooms,  and  stor- 
age rooms  shall  have  at  least  one  window  opening  directly  upon 
the  street,  or  upon  a  yard  or  court."  (Chap.  LX.,  sec.  50.) 

It  will  be  observed  that  this  provision  concerning  dark  rooms 
does  not  apply  to  all  dwellings  houses,  but  only  to  apartment 
or  tenement  houses ;  that  is,  buildings  over  two  stories  in  height 
intended  or  designed  for  or  used  as  the  homes  of  more  than  three 
families.  In  other  words,  if  the  building  is  "intended  or  designed 
for  or  used  by"  one,  two  or  three  families,  dark  rooms,  that  is, 
rooms  without  outside  windows,  may  be  provided  even  in  new 
buildings.  Dark  rooms,  wherever  they  exist,  whether  in  small 
dwellings  or  large  tenement  houses,  are  detrimental  to  health, 
are  apt  to  become  filthy,  and  act  as  breeding  places  for  tuber- 
culosis and  other  disease  germs. 

Lighting  and  Ventilation  of  Water  Closets. — There  is  a  pro- 
vision in  the  Richmond  Building  Code  that  water  closets  must 
not  be  located  in  any  sleeping  apartment,  nor  in  any  room  or 
apartment  which  has  not  direct  communication  with  the  exter- 
nal air,  either  by  a  window  or  air-shaft  having  an  area  to  the 
open  air  at  least  four  square  feet.  (Chap.  XXV.,  sec.  76.) 

Water  Closets,  Adequacy,  Location  and  Size. — The  Rich- 
mond Building  Code  makes  no  provision  for  adequate  water 
closet  facilities  in  private  dwellings  or  in  tenement  or  apartment 
houses.  In  fact,  the  only  provision  for  privacy  of  any  kind  is  in 
requiring  separate  water  closets  for  females  in  large  office  build- 
ings and  factories.  Cases  have  been  found  where  six  families  in 
Richmond  use  one  water  closet. 


«/>/>cr  picture  shows  the  dump-pickers  at  work.  The  loivcr  picture 
shozi's  a  boy  returning  from  the  dumps  loaded  with  the  pickings  winch 
he  probably  emptied  and  sorted  in  the  yard  under  the  clothes.  7  It  is 
family,  like  many  other  such  families,  takes  in  washing. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  5! 

While  it  might  be  too  much  of  a  hardship  to  require  a  land- 
lord to  install  a  separate  water  closet  in  each  apartment  of  a 
tenement  house,  he  should  be  required  to  install  at  least  one 
closet  for  every  two  families  or  apartments.  Water  closets 
should  not  be  permitted  to  be  installed  in  cellars  of  tenement 
houses,  unless  it  is  not  practicable  to  have  them  elsewhere,  as 
in  the  case  of  stores  on  the  ground  floor,  or  when  the  janitor's 
apartment  is  located  in  the  cellar,  and  then  should  it  be  permitted 
only  under  the  most  careful  regulation,  so  as  to  insure  adequate 
light,  ventilation,  cleanliness,  and  privacy. 

Water  closet  compartments  in  dwelling  or  tenement  houses 
should  be  at  least  three  feet  wide,  and  should  be  enclosed  with 
partitions  extending  to  the  ceiling.  Water  closets  intended  for 
the  use  of  two  or  more  families  should  have  water-proof  floors. 

Fire  Escapes. — There  is  no  provision  of  law  requiring  fire 
escapes  to  be  placed  on  tenement  or  apartment  houses.  The  law 
which  now  applies  to  hotels,  apartment  hotels,  lodging  houses, 
etc.  (Chap.  LX.,  sec.  75),  should  be  made  to  apply  with  some 
modifications  to  tenement  houses  also. 

Alterations. — No  existing  tenement  house  ought  to  be  per- 
mitted to  be  altered,  and  no  private  dwelling  house  should  be 
converted  into  a  tenement  or  apartment  house  in  such  a  way 
that  the  alterations  or  conversion  will  diminish  the  light  and 
ventilation  of  the  rooms,  water  closet  compartments,  halls  or 
stairs,  or  the  dimensions  of  the  rooms  below  the  requirements 
recommended  for  new  tenement  houses. 

Basement  and  Cellar  Rooms. — There  is  no  provision  in  the 
Building  Code  of  Richmond  prohibiting  or  regulating  the  use  of 
cellars  and  basements  for  living  purposes.  The  use  of  such 
rooms  for  living  or  sleeping  purposes  should  be  prohibited  un- 
less the  ceilings  are  at  least  seven  feet  above  the  floor  and  two 
and  one-half  feet  above  the  curb  level,  the  walls  and  floors  damp- 
proof  and  water-proof,  and  the  window  space  sufficient  to  fur- 
nish the  necessary  light  and  ventilation.  In  new  buildings  the 
ceilings  should  be  at  least  nine  feet  high  and  four  and  one-half 
feet  above  the  curb  level  to  permit  the  occupancy  of  basements 
or  cellars  for  such  purposes. 


ADDITIONAL  BUILDING  REGULATIONS  NEEDED. 

Notwithstanding  the  importance  of  light  and  ventilation  as 
a  matter  of  health  and  decency,  there  are  no  other  provisions 
concerning  them  in  the  Richmond  Building  Code. 


52  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

Building  Space. — There  is  no  provision  limiting  the  propor- 
tion of  ground  space  which  may  be  built  upon.  The  builder  of  a 
private  dwelling,  apartment  or  tenement  house  may,  if  he  desires, 
cover  the  entire  space  of  his  lot,  leaving  no  yard  or  court  space 
for  light  or  ventilation.  Outside  the  fire  limits,  a  space  of  at  least 
ten  feet  must  be  left  between  frame  buildings,  but  this  is  for 
the  prevention  of  the  spread  of  fire  and  is  not  a  regulation  for 
light  and  ventilation. 

Modern  building  laws  require  that  a  certain  percentage  of 
every  lot  must  be  left  vacant  for  light  and  ventilation.  In  the 
modern  tenement  house  law  proposed  by  Mr.  Lawrence  Veiller, 
not  more  than  eighty  per  cent,  of  a  corner  lot,  and  not  more 
than  sixty  per  cent,  of  any  other  lot  may  be  built  upon.  A  yard 
space  is  always  required  in  modern  building  laws,  extending 
across  the  entire  width  of  the  lot,  the  minimum  depth  of  the 
yard  to  be  proportionate  to  the  height  of  the  building. 

Courts. — The  Richmond  regulations  do  not  define  a  yard  or 
court,  and  therefore  any  space,  no  matter  how  narrow,  may  be 
construed  to  be  a  yard  or  court,  and  the  provision  requiring  out- 
side windows  in  tenement  or  apartment  houses  may,  therefore, 
be  without  material  effect  where  the  yard  or  court  is  too  small 
to  admit  sufficient  light  and  ventilation. 

All  modern  building  laws  define  courts  and  require  that  they 
be  of  certain  dimensions  in  proportion  to  the  height  of  the  build- 
ing. In  Mr.  Veiller's  proposed  model  law,  the  width  of  a  court 
may  not  be  less  than  twelve  feet  in  any  part  for  a  building  forty- 
eight  feet  in  height,  the  minimum  width  permitted  being  in- 
creased and  decreased  by  one  foot  respectively,  for  every  twelve 
feet  above  and  below  a  height  of  forty-eight  feet.  Courts  which 
are  entirely  enclosed  should  be  required  to  have  air  intakes  at 
the  bottom  not  less  than  three  feet  wide  and  seven  feet  high. 
These  intakes  are  necessary  to  renew  the  air  in  the  inner  courts. 

Size  of  Rooms. — The  Richmond  Building  Code  makes  no  pro- 
vision concerning  the  size  of  rooms  in  dwellings.  Such  a  pro- 
vision is  necessary  in  order  to  insure  sufficient  breathing  space, 
especially  in  sleeping  rooms.  The  tendency  among  builders,  es- 
pecially of  the  cheaper  grade  of  tenement  houses,  is  to  make  the 
rooms  smaller  and  smaller.  In  a  model  building  law,  provision 
should  be  made  that  there  be  at  least  one  room  in  each  apart- 
ment which  has  not  less  than  150  square  feet  of  floor  space,  and 
that  no  other  room  should  have  less  than  ninety  square  feet  of 
floor  space ;  also  that  no  room  should  be  less  than  nine  feet  high 
in  every  part. 

Alley  Houses. — As  certain  sections  of  a  city  become  densely 
populated,  there  arises  the  danger  of  crowding  houses  into  nar- 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  ^ 

row  alleys  and  courts,  a  practice  which  in  Washington,  D.  C., 
constitutes  the  most  serious  housing  problem.  A  few  such 
houses  were  recently  built  in  Richmond. 

A  law  should  be  enacted  prohibiting  the  building  of  private 
dwellings  and  tenement  houses  and  the  conversion  of  other  build- 
ings into  such  houses  on  streets  or  alleys  less  than  twenty  feet 
wide. 

Houses  Unfit  for  Habitation. — There  is  a  law  in  the  Building 
Code  providing,  that  upon  it  being  represented  to  the  police  jus- 
tice by  any  citizen,  city  officer,  police  officer,  or  other  building 
inspector,  that  any  building  or  part  of  any  building,  staging  or 
other  structure  in  the  city  of  Richmond  is  dangerous  or  unsafe 
by  reason  of  dilapidation  or  otherwise  to  persons  passing  upon 
the  streets,  alleys,  or  other  public  places  or  to  persons  on  private 
property,  he  may,  after  proper  court  proceedings,  require  the 
owner  or  occupant  either  to  remove  the  same  or  to  repair  and 
put  the  same  in  a  safe  condition  within  a  specified  time.  (Chap. 
LX.,  sec.  95.) 

If  there  is  actual  and  immediate  danger  of  any  building  or 
part  thereof  falling  so  as  to  endanger  life  or  property,  the  Build- 
ing Inspector  is  required  to  cause  the  necessary  work  to  be  done 
to  make  it  safe  until  the  proper  proceedings  can  be  taken,  and 
he  may  require  the  immediate  removal  of  the  occupants  of  such 
building  which  may  be  endangered.  (Chap.  LX.,  sec.  97.) 

Unless  a  house  is  structurally  unsafe,  it  may  be  unfit  for  habi- 
tation in  every  other  way  on  account  of  age,  neglect,  decay,  poor 
ventilation,  etc.,  and  yet  nothing  can  be  done  to  require  its  vaca- 
tion. Many  such  houses  exist  in  Richmond.  A  board  of  con- 
demnation, such  as  exists  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  should  be  pro- 
vided for,  with  power  to  condemn  and  order  the  repair  or  de- 
struction of  any  house  which  may  be  unfit  for  habitation. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


SANITARY  REGULATIONS. 

The  sanitary  regulations  of  the  City  of  Richmond  are  made 
by  the  City  Council  and  the  Board  of  Health.  The  City  Council 
usually  enacts  specific  ordinances  for  the  protection  of  the  health 
of  the  residents,  and  the  Board  of  Health  prescribes  rules  and 
regulations  for  their  enforcement.  Sometimes  the  City  Council, 
by  an  enabling  act,  gives  special  authority  to  the  Board  of  Health 
to  make  certain  regulations. 


DEPARTMENT  OF  HEALTH. 

Board  of  Health. — The  Board  of  Health  consists  of  five  mem- 
bers, three  of  whom  must  be  physicians.  They  are  elected  by 
the  City  Council  in  joint  session.  The  terms  of  office  are  for 
three  years,  the  terms  of  two,  one  and  two  members  respectively, 
expiring  each  year.  The  members  receive  no  compensation. 
They  appoint  the  Chief  Health  Officer  and  the  subordinate  offi- 
cers of  the  City  Health  Department.  (Chap.  XXV.,  sees,  i,  2, 
3a.) 

The  Board  of  Health  is  the  governing  power  of  the  Health 
Department  of  the  City  of  Richmond ;  they  suggest  to  the  Coun- 
cil such  measures  as  they  think  fit,  to  preserve  the  health  of  the 
city,  and  are  required  to  make  annual  reports  of  their  proceed- 
ings. They  are  invested  with  police  authority  and  are  empow- 
ered to  prescribe  rules  and  regulations  for  the  prevention  of 
disease,  or  for  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  the  ordinances  of 
the  City  Council  pertaining  to  the  public  health.  All  the  powers 
of  the  Board  of  Health  are  derived  from  the  City  Council.  The 
Board  of  Health  is  required  to  make  an  annual  report  to  the 
Mayor.  (Chap.  XXV.,  sees.  4,  5,  6.) 

The  following  subordinate  officers  are  appointed  by  the 
Board  of  Health  to  serve  for  a  term  of  two  years :  a  medical  in- 
spector, a  city  bacteriologist,  a  plumbing  inspector,  a  fumigator, 
a  food  inspector,  a  clerk  of  the  Health  Department,  a  registrar 
of  vital  statistics,  a  stenographer,  and  six  sanitary  officers.  Most 
of  these  officers  are  invested  with  police  powers.  (Chap.  XXV., 
sees,  3a  and  42.) 


77zw  picture  shows  a  pool  of  stagnant  water,  the  overflow  from  the  open 
se^ver,  Shockoe  Creek.  This,  pool  is  usually  covered  with  a  green  scum 
and  emits  foul  odors.  It  is  within  one-third  of  a  mile  of  the  State 
Capitol  and  within  a  stone's  throw  of  negro  habitations. 


I  p, 


This  shows  stagnant  water  in  one  of  the  neglected  but  inhabited  streets.     A 
dump  is  shown  in  the  distance. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  55 

The  Chief  Health  Officer.-— The  Chief  Health  Officer  is  ap- 
pointed by  the  City  Board  of  Health  for  a  term  of  two  years. 
He  is  required  to  devote  his  entire  time  to  the  duties  of  his  office. 
He  is  invested  with  police  power,  has  immediate  charge  of  the 
current  work  of  the  City  Health  Department,  and  is  required  to 
report  to  the  police  justice  all  offenses  against  the  Health  regu- 
lations of  the  city.  (Chap.  XXV.,  sees.  3a.  (i),  6.) 


CLEANLINESS  OF  BUILDINGS  AND  PREMISES. 

The  City  Health  Department  appears  to  have  ample  author- 
ity to  require  all  buildings  and  private  premises  to  be  kept  in  a 
sanitary  condition  and  to  inspect  the  same,  and  no  new  legisla- 
tion will  probably  be  needed  for  this  purpose.  The  plumbing 
regulations  likewise  appear  to  be  adequate.  With  its  present 
force  of  inspectors  it  is  impossible,  however,  to  discover  all  the 
violations  of  the  sanitary  regulations. 

Dirt,  Etc.,  on  Premises. — No  person  is  allowed  to  have  or 
to  suffer  any  noxious,  unwholesome  or  offensive  matter,  stag- 
nant water,  or  nuisance  of  any  kind,  in  any  house  or  cellar,  or 
upon  any  other  private  property  owned  or  occupied  by  him,  a 
fine  of  $i  to  $20  being  provided  for  violation  of  this  ordinance. 
If  it  is  due  to  a  want  of  proper  drainage,  the  occupier  is  not  fined 
if  he  notifies  the  owner.  If  the  latter  fails  to  abate  the  nuisance, 
he  is  liable  to  a  fine  of  from  $10  to  $50.  (Chap.  XXVIL,  sec.  4.) 
The  police  justice  may,  furthermore,  order  the  removal  of  the 
misance  within  a  specified  time,  and  if  it  continues  after  that 
time  he  may  impose  a  fine  of  from  $10  to  $20  per  day  during  its 
subsequent  continuance,  and  he  may  cause  the  nuisance  to  be 
abated  at  the  cost  of  the  person  offending.  (Chap.  XXVIL, 
sec.  15.)  If  the  property  of  a  non-resident  is  subject  to  be  cov- 
ered by  stagnant  water,  or  other  unwholesome  substances  accu- 
mulate there,  the  ground  may  be  filled  up,  raised  or  drained,  and 
the  substance  covered  up  or  removed  by  order  of  the  City  Coun- 
cil, after  notice  to  the  representative  of  the  owner,  or  in  his 
absence,  by  advertisement,  and  the  amount  may  be  recovered 
by  distress  >nd  sale  as  in  the  case  of  non-payment  of  taxes. 
(Chap.  XXVIL,  sees.  4  and  15.) 

Depositing  Filth  on  Private  Premises. — It  is  prohibited  under 
penalty  ',of  a  fine  of  from  $i  to  $20  for  any  person  to  put  or 
cause  Ito  be  put  into  any  cellar  or  house  or  upon  any  other 
private  property  not  owned  or  occupied  by  him,  any  filth  or 
nuisance  of  any  kind.  (Chap.  XXVIL,  sec.  2.) 

Storage  of  Rags  and  Pickings  from  Dumps. — There  is  no  law 


56  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

specifically  prohibiting  the  storage  of  rags  or  perishable  or  com- 
bustible material  in  dwelling  houses.  An  ordinance  is  desirable 
prohibiting  the  carrying  of  pickings,  other  than  coal  and  non- 
combustible  materials,  from  the  dumps  into  private  dwelling 
houses. 

Offensive  Trades. — There  is  no  law  specifically  prohibiting 
the  carrying  on  of  offensive  trades  in  dwelling  houses,  but  in 
case  such  a  trade  is  found  to  be  injurious  to  health  the  Health 
Department  has  general  powers  to  abate  the  nuisance. 

Throwing  or  Placing  Medicine  or  Merchandise  on  Private 
Premises. — The  throwing  or  placing  of  samples  or  sample  pack- 
ages of  medicine  or  merchandise  of  any  description  whatever  in 
any  yard,  hall,  porch,  doorway  or  vestibule  of  any  residence, 
boarding  or  apartment  house  is  prohibited  under  penalty  of  a 
fine  of  from  $2  to  $10.  (Chap.  XXVIL,  sec.  36.) 

Smoke  Nuisance. — There  is  no  provision  of  law  for  the  pre- 
vention of  smoke.  The  experience  in  other  cities  has  been  that 
the  installation  of  the  latest  type  of  smoke  consumers  has  not 
only  prevented  the  dense  volumes  of  smoke,  such  as  we  now 
have  in  Richmond,  but  it  has  proven  economical  to  the  estab- 
lishments which  used  such  smoke  consumers.  An  ordinance 
should  be  enacted  requiring  smoke  consumers  to  be  installed  in 
all  places  where  bituminous  coal  is  used  in  large  quantities. 


WATER  SUPPLY. 

The  Council  Committee  on  Water  determines,  when,  upon 
the  application  of  a  property  owner  or  owners,  a  water  main  may 
be  run  in  a  street  or  alley  on  which  such  property  abuts.  When- 
ever such  a  main  is  introduced,  the  property  owners  must  make 
connection  within  thirty  days,  and  construct  on  their  premises, 
if  a  sewer  is  adjacent,  at  least  one  closet  suitably  connected 
with  the  water  and  sewer  pipe.  An  owner  or  occupant  failing 
to  comply  is  liable  to  a  fine  of  from  $2  to  $10  for  each  day's  fail- 
ure. (Chap.  XXXI.,  sees.  9  and  30.) 

Wells. — The  use  of  wells,  other  than  artesian  wells,  is  not 
permitted  where  city  water  connections  can  be  made,  and  they 
must  be  closed  up  when  their  use  is  no  longer  permitted. 

Adequacy  of  Water  Supply. — There  is  no  specification  con- 
cerning the  adequacy  of  the  hydrants  for  the  use  of  the  tenants. 
Cases  have  been  found  where  as  many  as  six  families  use  one 
hydrant.  In  tenement  or  apartment  houses  there  ought  to  be  a 
sink  with  hydrant  in  each  tenement  or  apartment,  or  at  least  on 


The  upper  and  lower  pictures  show  piles  of  refuse  awaiting  the  collectors 
after  "clean-up  day."  The  two  middle  pictures  show  boy  scouts  at  work 
m  the  suburbs  of  Richmond  on  "clean-up"  day. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  rj 

each  floor.    In  smaller  houses  there  should  be  at  least  one  hydrant 
for  every  three  families. 

Water  Rates.— The  practice  appears  to  be  for  the  tenant  to 
pay  the  water  tax,  and  if  he  refuses  to  pay,  the  water  is  turned  off. 
In  that  case,  the  Water  Department  notifies  the  City  Health  De- 
partment of  its  action  and  the  latter  orders  the  tenant  to  have 
the  water  supply  renewed.  The  burden  of  paying  for  the  water 
should  be  definitely  placed  upon  the  landlord,  and  he  should  be 
prohibited  from  permitting  his  property  to  be  occupied  for  dwell- 
ing purposes  unless  the  water  is  turned  on. 


PLUMBING. 

The  existing  plumbing  regulations  appear  to  be  adequate. 
Occasionally  antiquated  closets  and  bath  tubs  were  found,  but  it 
would  perhaps  be  too  great  a  hardship  upon  the  landlords  to  re- 
quire the  installation  of  new  apparatus  where  the  old  are  func- 
tioning fairly  well.  Modern  plumbing  is  at  present  required  in 
all  new  buildings  and  wherever  the  old  appliances  have  to  be  re- 
placed. 

Water  Closets. — Every  water  closet  within  a  dwelling  must 
be  either  an  enamelled  iron  or  earthenware  siphon  jet  closet,  or 
washout  closet  with  trap  and  vent,  to  be  supplied  from  a  tank 
or  cistern  through  a  flush  pipe  not  less  than  i^  inches  internal 
diameter.  Inspectors  may,  where  conditions  are  favorable,  grant 
special  permits  for  the  use  of  flushing  rim  hoppers  with  reser- 
voirs in  the  basements,  cellars  and  exposed  places.  (Chap.  XXV., 
sec.  74.) 

All  closets  in  yards  must  be  frost-proof  and  supplied  with 
anti-freezing  valves,  reservoirs,  flushing  rim  bowls,  and  flush 
pipe  not  less  than  i^4  inches  internal  diameter.  (Chap.  XXV., 
sec.  74.) 

Dry  Closets.— Dry  closets  are  permitted  only  where  city 
water  mains  and  sewers  are  inaccessible.  The  manner  of  their 
construction  and  screening  is  carefully  specified  in  the  regulations 
of  the  Health  Department,  copies  of  which  are  distributed  to  all 
premises  where  dry  closets  are  located.  Upon  complaint  of  any 
citizen,  or  information  given  by  a  police  officer  to  the  police  jus- 
tice, that  a  privy  is  so  placed  as  to  be  offensive,  he  may,  upon 
summons  returned  and  executed  against  the  owner,  order  such 
privy  to  be  removed. 

The  boxes  are  emptied  by  a  contractor  employed  by  the  Board 
of  Health,  but  the  fees  for  this  service  are  collected  from  the 
occupants  of  the  premises,  the  rates  of  which  are  fixed  by  city 


58  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

ordinance.  The  boxes  must  in  all  cases  be  emptied  regardless 
of  whether  the  contractor  can  collect  the  fees  or  not.  (Chap. 
II.,  sec.  5.) 

The  regulations  concerning  dry  closets  appear  to  be  adequate 
to  insure  the  best  condition  possible  where  dry  closets  must 
exist,  provided  the  regulations  are  enforced.  The  system  of 
emptying  the  boxes,  however,  is  wrong.  The  burden  of  removing 
the  contents  of  the  boxes  should  be  either  upon  the  municipality 
as  a  whole  or  upon  the  landlord.  As  it  is,  the  contractor  has 
no  recourse  in  case  the  tenants  are  unable  to  pay,  and  in  conse- 
quence, he  must  necessarily  allow  for  such  losses  when  he  fixes 
the  price  in  bidding  for  the  contract.  If  the  burden  were  upon 
the  landlord,  the  contractor  or  the  municipality  could  recover  in 
every  case. 


PREVENTION  OF  COMMUNICABLE  DISEASES. 

Every  physician  practicing  in  Richmond  who  attends  a 
patient  affected  with  small-pox  or  varioloid,  cholera,  scarlet  or 
yellow  fever,  diphtheria,  measles,  pulmonary  or  laryngeal  tuber- 
culosis or  typhoid  fever,  is  required  to  report  to  the  Board  of 
Health  in  writing  within  twenty-four  hours  the  name  and  loca- 
tion of  the  patient,  and  his  recovery  or  death  from  such  disease. 
A  penalty  of  $10  for  every  twenty-four  hours  is  fixed  for  failure 
to  report.  (Chap.  XXV.,  sec.  95.) 

When  cases  of  small-pox,  varioloid,  diphtheria,  scarlet  fever 
or  measles  are  reported,  the  Chief  Health  Officer  is  required  to 
have  cards  placed  within  or  without  the  premises  where  the  case 
exists,  in  a  conspicuous  place,  stating  the  name  of  the  disease  and 
such  words  of  precaution  as  he  may  deem  necessary.  The  Board 
of  Health  may,  if  deemed  proper,  extend  the  operation  of  this 
ordinance,  both  with  regard  to  reporting  and  to  placarding,  to 
other  diseases.  (Chap.  XXV.,  sec.  96.) 


CHAPTER  IX. 

REGULATION   OF   CLEANLINESS   OF   STREETS   AND 
ALLEYS,  AND   REFUSE  REMOVAL. 

! 

The  Superintendent  of  the  Street  Cleaning  Department  is 
elected  by  the  City  Council  for  a  term  of  two  years.  His  duties 
are  to  take  charge  of,  manage  and  direct,  under  the  direction  of 
the  Administrative  Board,  the  cleaning  of  the  streets  and  the 
removal  of  the  garbage  and  ashes,  and  for  this  purpose  he  can 
employ  and  discharge  laborers,  drivers  and  hostlers.  He  is  also 
required  to  abate  nuisances  in  streets,  alleys  and  lanes.  He  re- 
ports annually  to  the  Mayor.  (Chap.  XLL,  sees.  I  to  3.) 


STREETS  AND  ALLEYS. 

Placing  Ashes,  Dirt,  Rubbish,  Etc.,  in  Streets. — Any  person 
may  carry  from  his  lot  or  put  in  a  street  or  public  alley,  or  any 
part  of  the  carriageway  nearest  to  the  gutter  or  drain,  ashes, 
dirt,  or  rubbish;  provided  the  same  be  free  from  offensive  mat- 
ter and  be  removed  by  him  from  said  street  or  alley  within 
twenty-four  hours ;  or  if  one  of  the  Committee  on  Streets  for  the 
ward  in  which  said  lot  is,  shall,  in  writing,  allow  a  longer  time 
for  the  removal,  then  within  such  time  as  may  be  allowed. 
(Chap.  XXVII.,  sec.  24.) 

This  provision  is  out  of  date  and  should  be  repealed.  No  one 
should  be  permitted  to  deposit  any  ashes,  dirt,  rubbish  or  other 
substance  on  a  public  street,  except  in  case  of  an  emergency,  and 
then  only  by  special  permission  of  the  Street  Cleaning  Depart- 
ment. 

If  any  filth,  rubbish,  ashes,  dirt  or  other  things  be  carried 
from  a  lot  or  place  and  put  in  a  street  or  public  alley,  or  if  any 
nuisance  or  obstruction  be  put  or  caused  to  be  put  or  to  remain 
therein,  without  being  authorized  by  the  city  ordinances,  the 
offender  is  liable  to  a  fine  of  from  $i  to  $10  for  the  first  day,  and 
from  $2  to  $20  for  subsequent  days.  (Chap.  XXVII. ,  sec.  25.) 

Removal  of  Ashes,  Dirt,  Rubbish,  Etc.,  from  Streets. — Every 
person  occupying  a  house  or  a  lot  is  required  to  remove,  or  to 
give  notice  to  the  City  Engineer  or  to  a  police  officer  of  any  filth, 


60  Housing  and  ^Living  Conditions  in  the 

rubbish,  ashes,  dirt,  stones,  or  other  things,  or  any  nuisance  or 
obstruction  not  authorized  above,  which  may  be  put  on  that  half 
of  the  street  or  alley  next  to  and  opposite  his  house  and  lot.  For 
failure  to  remove  or  report  the.  same  he  is  liable  to  a  fine  not 
exceeding  $10  for  each  day  of  such  failure.  (Chap.  XXVII. , 
sec.  26.) 

Sidewalks  to  be  Swept. — Tenants,  occupants  or  owners  of 
any  house,  store  or  other  building  used  for  mercantile  or  manu- 
facturing purposes,  or  as  a  place  of  amusement,  on  the  front  or 
side  of  which  the  sidewalk  is  paved,  are  required  to  sweep  such 
sidewalk  once  in  twenty-four  hours,  such  sweeping  to  be  done 
between  7  P.  M.  and  8  A.  M.  A  penalty  of  from  $2  to  $10  is 
provided  for  violation  of  this  ordinance,  recoverable  before  the 
Police  Justice.  (Ordinance  approved  May  20,  1911.)  It  is  sug- 
gested that  Saturday  to  Sunday  be  excepted. 

Expectorating  or  Throwing  Fruit  Skins  on  Sidewalks,  Etc. — 
It  is  unlawful  to  expectorate  upon,  or  throw  fruit  skins  or  peel- 
ings on  the  sidewalks,  or  floors  of  street  cars,  public  elevators, 
or  public  halls.  The  penalty  for  violation  is  $5.  (Chap.  XXVII. , 
sec.  21 ;  Chap.  XXVII.,  sec.  4.) 

'Dropping  Filth,  Etc.,  on  Streets,  or  Alleys,  or  Dumping 
Same. — If  a  person  employs  any  other  person  than  an  appointee 
of  the  City  Council  to  remove  any  filth  or  nuisance  from  any 
house  or  lot,  or  any  other  place,  and  such  person  wastes  the  same 
in  the  street  or  alley,  or  puts  or  causes  the  same  to  be  put  into 
the  James  River  within  the  city  limits  or  upon  the  private  prop- 
erty of  another,  he  is  liable  to  a  fine  of  from  $2  to  $20.  (Chap. 
XXVII.,  sec.  3.) 

Snow  on  Sidewalks. — Tenants  or  occupants  or,  in  their 
absence,  owners  or  persons  in  charge  of  buildings  or  lots  border- 
ing on  streets,  lanes,  courts,  squares,  or  public  places  where  there 
are  paved  footways  or  sidewalks,  are  required  to  remove  snow 
fallen  in  the  daytime  within  six  hours,  and  if  fallen  in  the  night- 
time, before  noon  of  the  following  day.  The  penalty  for  viola- 
tion is  from  $2  to  $10  the  first  day,  and  from  $i  to  $10  for  each 
subsequent  day  that  the  snow  remains  on  the  footway  or  side- 
walk. (Chap.  XXVIL,  sec.  28.) 

Streets,  Gutters  or  Drains. — Every  person  occupying  a  house 
or  lot  is  required,  as  far  as  such  lot  extends,  to  cause  the  paved 
gutter  or  drain  in  a  street  or  public  alley  opposite  thereto,  to  be 
constantly  kept  open  and  free  from  obstruction.  The  penalty 
for  violation  is  from  $i  to  $10  for  the  first  day,  and  from  $2  to 
$20  for  each  subsequent  day.  (Chap.  XXVIL,  sec.  23.)  This 
ordinance  is  antiquated  and  should  be  repealed. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  6! 

Street  Sprinkling.— The  street  car  companies  are  required  by 
ordinance  to  sprinkle  the  streets  along  the  lines  of  their  railways 
each  day  except  when  wet  from  rain-fall  or  snow,  the  sprinkling 
to  extend  over  the  road-bed  occupied  by  the  rails  and  between 
them  and  six  feet  outside  the  outer  rails.  Paved  streets  are 
sprinkled  whenever  swept.  In  all  other  cases  the  streets  are 
never  sprinkled  except  at  private  expense.  The  result  is  that 
whenever  there  has  been  no  rain-fall  for  a  few  days,  the  whole 
atmosphere  of  the  city  is  charged  with  dust,  and  when  the  wind 
blows,  dense  volumes  sweep  over  the  streets  and  into  the  houses. 
Appropriation  should  be  made  to  enable  the  Street  Cleaning  De- 
partment to  sprinkle  or  oil  every  street  in  the  central  and  the 
more  densely  populated  sections  of  the  city  daily,  except  when 
wet  from  rain-fall  or  snow. 

Littering  Streets. — There  are  no  provisions  prohibiting  the 
throwing  of  paper  on  streets  and  sidewalks  or  in  alleys,  or  the 
distributing  of  dodgers  broadcast,  and  there  are  no  receptacles 
for  paper,  fruit  skins  and  other  trash  along  the  streets.  Such 
provisions  should  be  made,  and  they,  as  well  as  the  existing  regu- 
lations, should  be  rigidly  enforced  by  the  Police  Department,  and 
a  sufficient  number  of  receptacles  should  be  provided  for  paper 
and  trash.  This  would  go  a  long  way  toward  securing  cleaner 
streets  and  alleys.  On  the  other  hand,  an  adequate  street  clean- 
ing service  should  be  provided. 

Unpaved  Streets. — Owing  to  the  many  unpaved  streets  which 
intersect  those  that  are  paved,  much  of  the  dirt  is  carried  by  the 
horses  and  wagons  from  the  unpaved  to  the  paved  streets,  and 
it  is  consequently  very  difficult  to  keep  the  latter  clean.  There 
are  many  miles  of  unpaved  streets,  sidewalks  and  alleys  within 
half  an  hour's  walking  distance  from  the  heart  of  the  city,  par- 
ticularly between  Broad  Street  and  the  northern  city  limits,  even 
though  the  streets  are  lined  on  both  sides  by  habitations  which 
have  existed  for  many  years.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many 
well  paved  streets  and  alleys  in  other  more  distant  sections  of 
the  city  where  vacant  lots  predominate.  In  appropriating  money 
for  street  improvements  the  preference  should  be  given  to  the 
more  accessible  and  more  densely  populated  sections  of  the  city, 
regardless  of  the  character  of  the  people  who  live  there. 

The  following  extracts  from  the  last  annual  report  of  the 
Superintendent  of  the  Street  Cleaning  Department  illustrates 
some  of  the  difficulties  encountered  by  that  officer: 

"The  department  is  much  annoyed  by  the  storekeepers  and 
careless  pedestrians  making  a  public  dumping  ground  of  the 


62  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

streets  of  the  city.  The  streets  are  regarded  by  these  people  as 
a  receptacle  for  store  sweepings,  packing  materials  of  all  kinds, 
waste  paper  and  fruit  parings,  to  say  nothing  of  the  trade  refuse 
which  is  left  to  be  taken  care  of  by  the  department. 

"It  is  very  discouraging  to  see  a  street  that  has  just  been 
cleaned,  littered  with  trash,  paper  and  refuse,  within  an  hour 
thereafter.  It  is  manifestly  impracticable  as  well  as  beyond  the 
financial  capacity  of  any  community  to  have  street  cleaners 
always  on  hand  to  receive  the  rubbish  swept  off  the  sidewalks 
or  thrown  in  the  streets,  dependent  upon  the  convenience  of  each 
house  or  storekeeper. 

"Leaking  and  broken  carts  are  used  by  contractors,  with  the 
result  that  many  of  the  most  important  thoroughfares  are  con- 
stantly littered  with  broken  bricks,  sand  and  clay,  notwithstand- 
ing that  all  of  this  is  prohibited  by  law." 


GARBAGE,  ASHES  AND  RUBBISH  DISPOSAL. 

Receptacles. — Housekeepers  are  required  to  deposit  their  gar- 
bage in  water-tight  vessels,  each  having  a  capacity  not  to  exceed 
thirty-two  gallons,  and  these  must  be  placed  on  the  premises 
where  they  are  most  accessible  to  the  garbage  collectors.  Garr 
bage  and  ashes  must  be  kept  in  separate  vessels.  Ashes  and 
other  rubbish,  whether  combustible  or  not,  need  not  be  separated. 
The  garbage  receptacles  may  be  made  of  any  material,  provided 
they  are  water-tight,  and  any  kind  of  box,  barrel,  or  other  recep- 
tacle may  be  used  for  ashes  and  other  rubbish.  (Chap.  XLL, 
sees.  12  and  14.) 

The  city  ordinances  should  be  so  amended  as  to  require  a 
complete  separation  of  (i)  garbage  and  combustible  or  perishable 
refuse,  and  (2)  ashes  and  other  non-combustible  refuse.  The 
garbage  and  ash  receptacles  should  be  made  of  metal,  and  the 
garbage  cans  should  be  provided  with  tight-fitting  covers.  All 
the  combustible  refuse  as  well  as  the  garbage  should  be  cremated. 
The  other  refuse  should  be  dumped,  but  it  would  be  advisable 
to  make  some  other  disposition  of  the  tin  cans  and  other  dis- 
carded receptacles  which  fill  up  with  water  and  become  the 
breeding  places  for  mosquitoes.  While  the  house-flies  are  nearly 
all  bred  in  stables,  one  of  their  chief  sources  of  food  supply  is 
the  open  garbage  can.  Furthermore,  open  garbage  cans  are 
accessible  to  dogs  and  cats,  which  frequently  upset  them  and 
otherwise  scatter  their  contents  about.  Ashes  should  be  placed 
in  metal  cans  as  a  protection  against  fire. 

Removal  of  Refuse. — It  is  evident  that  the  Street  Cleaning 
Department,  with  its  present  force  and  as  it  is  now  constituted, 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  63 

is  unable  to  deal  with  the  street  cleaning  and  garbage  removal 
problem.  In  a  communication  to  a  member  of  the  City  Council, 
the  Superintendent  gave  an  estimate  that  it  would  require  an 
additional  appropriation  of  over  $26,000  to  carry  out  the  pro- 
visions of  a  proposed  ordinance  approved  by  the  Committee  on 
Legislation  of  this  society  in  accordance  with  the  above  sug- 
gestions. The  proper  removal  of  the  garbage  and  other  rubbish 
and  the  cleanliness  of  the  streets  and  alleys  is  of  such  vital  im-» 
portance  to  a  city  that  no  expense  should  be  spared  to  do  it. 
In  order  to  do  this  work  economically,  however,  it  is  necessary 
to  employ  only  able-bodied  men  to  do  the  manual  labor,  and 
these  should  be  so  disposed  and  supervised  that  there  is  no  waste 
of  time  and  labor.  Likewise,  there  ought  to  be  no  favoritism 
shown  either  to  individuals  or  to  localities,  but  the  garbage  and 
other  refuse  collections  should  be  uniform  and  regular.  Many 
complaints  were  made  during  the  investigation  by  householders 
in  some  sections,  particularly  in  Fulton,  on  Oregon  Hill,  in  the 
Shockoe  Valley,  and  west  of  Brook  Avenue,  between  Leigh  and 
Catharine  Streets,  that  the  collections  of  ashes  and  garbage  are 
infrequent  and  irregular.  The  same  complaints  were  made  re- 
garding the  cleaning  of  streets  in  those  sections.  This  was  given 
as  the  reason  for  the  practice,  as  shown  in  the  first  part  of  this 
report,  which  is  not  uncommon,  for  tenants  living  near  the 
dumps  to  carry  not  only  ashes  and  rubbish  but  also  garbage 
and  other  perishable  matter  to  the  dumps,  or  to  throw  them  on 
neighboring  vacant  lots. 

The  Dumps. — The  dumps  which  line  the  south  banks  of 
Bacon's  Quarter  Branch  and  Shockoe  Creek  would  be  harmless 
if  the  material  dumped  consisted  only  of  earth,  ashes,  and 
other  imperishable  matter.  They  would  merely  constitute  an 
unsightly  approach  to  the  city,  defacing  a  landscape  which  would 
otherwise  be  picturesque.  But  these  dumps  appear  to  be  utilized 
as  depositories  for  everything  imaginable.  Most  conspicuous  of 
all  are  the  paper  and  the  tin  cans,  while,  here  and  there,  upon 
closer  inspection  may  be  found  deposits  of  garbage,  rags,  dead 
animals,  and  even  fecal  matter.  The  dumps  sometimes  tower 
high  above  the  surrounding  dwellings,  so  that  on  rainy  days  the 
water  runs  down  from  them,  carrying  the  dirt  and  filth  into  the 
neighboring  yards  and  under  the  houses.  The  dumping  of  paper, 
rags,  and  perishable  matter  of  every  kind  should  be  prohibited, 
and  the  police  authorities  should  see  to  it  that  no  such  dumping 
is  done. 

Police  Supervision. — The  City  Code  provides  that  police  offi- 
cers are  required  to  report  all  nuisances  and  obstructions  on 
streets  and  alleys,  private  premises,  drains,  gutters,  etc.,  and 


64  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

j 

that  the  Chief  of  Police  should  "explore  all  the  streets  and  alleys 
of  the  city  at  least  twice  each  month  and  give  information  and 
prosecute  for  violations  of  laws."  (Chap.  LVIIL,  sec.  4.) 

While  this  provision  concerning  the  Chief  of  Police  is  obso- 
lete and  impracticable,  there  is  no  reason  why  the  police  officers 
should  not  be  on  the  alert  for  violations  of  law  concerning  the 
condition  of  streets,  alleys,  yards,  vacant  lots,  etc. 

Conclusion. — With  an  adequate  force  of  competent  employees 
in  the  service  of  the  Health  and  Street  Cleaning  Departments, 
with  better  regulations  as  indicated  above,  and  with  a  proper 
spirit  of  civic  pride  and  devotion  to  duty  on  the  part  of  the  citi- 
zens, and  especially  the  public  officers,  there  is  no  reason  why 
Richmond  cannot  be  made  one  of  the  cleanest  and  most  health- 
ful cities  in  the  United  States. 


APPENDICES 


APPENDIX  I. 


Following  is  a  fac-simile  of  the  card  used  by  investigators 
in  their  house-to-house  study  of  the  housing  and  living  con- 
ditions : 


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APPENDIX  II. 

NOTES  MADE  BY  INVESTIGATORS. 

Following  are  some  of  the  comments  made  by  the  investi- 
gators concerning  the  people  and  premises  visited.  They  are  re- 
produced because  they  give  a  human  touch  to  the  cold  facts  re- 
ported in  collective  form  in  the  various  chapters  of  the  report: 

White  Families. 

"The  sink  in  the  kitchen  leaks,  and  there  is  a  hole  in  the  floor 
next  to  it  one-half  a  foot  square  where  filth  accumulates  and 
where  rats  come  in.  The  kitchen  floor  is  weak  and  full  of  holes." 

"The  plaster  in  the  kitchen  is  very  dirty  and  there  are  several 
holes  in  it  letting  in  the  cold  air  in  winter,  the  floors  are  shaky, 
and  the  house  is  said  to  be  about  eighty  years  old.  Ashes  and 
filth  are  deposited  on  a  lot  about  twenty  feet  away." 

"Occupant  said  that  the  first  time  she  has  ever  seen  a  garb- 
age man  was  yesterday.  The  plaster  on  the  walls  is  weak  and 
dirty,  and  the  building  looks  as  if  a  heavy  wind  would  blow  it 
down." 

"The  garbage  and  ash  men  never  come.  The  dry  closet  was 
cleaned  only  once  since  October  (1912).  It  is  not  screened,  and 
is  in  a  dirty  condition." 

"The  dry  closet  was  emptied  twice  since  October  (1912).  It 
leaks  and  is  almost  full.  Four  of  the  six  little  children  have  had 
typhoid  fever  within  the  past  year.  The  garbage  and  ashes  have 
not  been  emptied  in  months." 

"The  house  is  in  a  dilapidated  condition,  the  plaster  is  broken 
and  is  falling  down.  There  are  cracks  through  to  the  outside,  and 
the  roof  leaks.  No  repairs  have  been  made  for  over  two  years. 
In  this  house  lives  a  family  with  six  children,  the  oldest  being  a 
girl  who  works  in  a  tobacco  factory." 

"This  dwelling  has  a  store  in  front  and  the  floor  leading  from 
it  to  the  living  rooms  is  weak,  loose,  and  is  falling  in.  It  is  quite 
dangerous,  especially  as  there  are  five  little  children  in  the 
family." 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  60 

"This  is  a  fearfully  dilapidated  place.  The  porch  leaks,  the 
plaster  is  falling  down  in  the  kitchen,  and  the  air  comes  through 
the  walls  so  that  it  is  very  cold  in  winter.  There  are  no  locks 
on  the  doors.  The  flooring  next  to  the  back  door  is  giving  way. 
The  sink  in  the  kitchen  is  very  old  and  rusty." 

"The  drain  pipe  is  out  of  order.  A  big  hole  where  the  rats 
come  in  and  dirt  accumulates  is  under  the  sink  in  the  kitchen. 
In  the  dining-room  and  in  the  hall  at  every  touch  the  plaster 
falls  down  under  the  wall  paper,  which  is  peeling  off.  The  flue 
from  the  kitchen  is  open  on  the  second  floor,  and  the  tenant  had 
to  put  tin  up  to  keep  out  smoke  and  prevent  fire." 

"The  wall  paper  is  patched  up  by  the  tenant  all  over  the 
house,  the  rear  steps  are  broken  down,  the  drain  is  stopped  up, 
the  porch  roof  leaks  and  water  stands  under  the  house  after 
every  rain.  The  agent  will  make  no  repairs." 

"During  every  rain  the  water  comes  through  the  roof.  The 
wall  paper  is  coming  down  and  the  house  is  damp.  Here  in  four 
rooms  lives  a  family  with  five  little  children." 

"This  house  has  been  condemned  as  being  structually  unsafe, 
and  yet  it  is  occupied  by  a  family  of  a  man  and  wife  and  three 
small  children,  aged  2,  4  and  8  years  who  live  in  two  filthy,  dilap- 
idated rooms.  The  plaster  on  the  walls  and  ceilings  is  coming 
down  and  there  is  stagnant  water  in  the  areaway.  The  husband 
is  an  incessant  drunkard." 

"The  water  closet  is  often  out  of  order.  The  plaster  is  out  in 
several  places.  The  floors  in  the  four  rooms  sink  down  in  the 
middle.  This  family  has  five  children,  aged  from  two  to  seven 
years,  four  of  whom  seem  to  be  suffering  with  colds." 

"The  water  closet  leaks  and  water  runs  down  into  the  ground 
in  the  rear.  The  garbage  man  comes  around  about  once  every 
four  weeks." 

"The  fence  is  all  broken  up  and  rather  dangerous  for  the  two 
little  children  when  playing.  The  front  room  in  the  basement  is 
used  for  a  kitchen,  while  the  back  is  full  of  rubbish.  The  toilet 
is  defective  so  that  the  occupants  use  the  one  next  door.  In  the 
kitchen  the  plaster  is  falling  down  from  the  walls  ^and  ceiling. 
The  garbage  man  comes  about  once  in  three  weeks." 

"This  house  is  very  old  and  dilapidated,  the  plaster  being  in  a 
fearful  condition,  the  porch  is  shaky  and  dangerous,  the  water 
pipe  is  burst  and  the  water  turned  off  and  the  cellar  cannot  be 
used  on  account  of  its  dampness." 

"Bricks  along-side  of  the  hearth  in  the  front  room  and  in  the 


70  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

kitchen  are  caving  in.  The  water  closet  pipe  leaks  so  that  the 
contents  often  go  on  the  ground  instead  of  in  the  sewer.  A  very 
unpleasant  odor  was  present.  The  roof  of  the  back  porch  leaks, 
and  the  plaster  on  the  second  floor  is  coming  down." 

"In  this  house  live  thirteen  filthy  foreigners  who  cannot  speak 
English,  six  of  whom  sleep  in  one  room.  Of  the  six,  four  are 
the  children,  ranging  in  age  from  two  to  ten  years,  of  the  woman 
who  appears  to  be  head  of  the  household.  The  rest  are  boarders. 
Filth  is  dominant  everywhere." 

"This  is  a  very  pathetic  case  of  a  family  of  six  children  rang- 
ing from  three  to  twenty-one  years  of  age,  three  girls  and  three 
boys,  all  exceptionally  handsome.  The  mother,  a  very  thin,  frail 
woman,  had  been  raised  in  a  good  family  and  well  educated,  but, 
marrying  a  man  who  has  been  an  inveterate  drunkard,  she  has 
fallen  into  poverty.  The  water  in  the  toilet  is  running  continu- 
ally, portions  of  the  plaster  of  the  ceiling  have  fallen,  and  the 
walls  are  dirty.  The  husband  uses  most  of  the  income  for  drink, 
the  wife  relying  upon  the  two  oldest  children  for  support." 

"The  water  has  not  been  turned  on  in  eighteen  months." 

"In  this  basement  are  two  rooms  occupied  by  one  man  and 
two  women.  When  visited,  one  of  the  the  women  was  raving 
with  delirium  tremens.  The  condition  of  the  rooms  was  dirty, 
filthy,  and  disorderly." 

"The  water  closet  is  nailed  up,  as  it  is  stopped  up  and  the 
plumbing  defective.  The  water  is  turned  off,  the  occupants  using 
a  spring  across  the  street.  The  wall  plaster  is  falling  down  all 
over  the  house  and  very  dirty,  while  the  floor  near  the  stove  in 
the  kitchen  is  dangerous  to  walk  on." 

"The  water  closet  is  under  the  steps  in  the  hall,  and  both  the 
closet  and  sink  are  leaking." 

"This  poor  woman,  with  four  children,  aged  from  two  to  thir- 
teen years,  has  been  deserted  by  her  husband.  She  keeps  a  cow 
and  chickens  and  sells  milk,  butter  and  eggs.  The  house  is  one 
story  high,  has  three  rooms,  and  is  in  a  bad  condition.  There 
is  stagnant  water  under  the  house.  The  woman  had  typhoid 
fever  for  three  months.  She  keeps  herself  and  premises  clean." 

"The  occupants  keep  a  mule  under  the  house  in  the  fuel 
room." 

"Husband  and  wife  are  both  inebriates.  A  son  of  twenty-one 
and  a  daughter  of  fourteen  years  of  age  are  the  main  support.  The 
woman  takes  in  washing  sometimes,  but  frequently  solicits  alms. 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  71 

The  home  conditions  seem  unfit  for  the  young  daughter.     The 
house  is  in  bad  repair  and  the  rooms  are  dirty." 

"This  house  has  two  rooms  and  a  detached  kitchen,  and  is 
occupied  by  three  families.  One  family  downstairs  consists  of  a 
husband  and  wife  who  eat,  live  and  sleep  in  this  room,  which  is 
filthy.  The  husband  and  wife  composing  the  family  which  rented 
the  kitchen  and  upstairs  room,  live,  eat  and  sleep  in  the  kitchen 
in  the  yard  and  sub-let  the  upstairs  room  to  a  woman  boarder 
with  two  girls  aged  five  and  eight  years,  the  woman  being  away 
at  work  during  the  day.  This  woman  earns  $5  per  week,  of 
which  she  pays  the  couple  who  live  in  the  kitchen  $4  per  week 
for  room  and  board  and  for  the  care  of  the  children.  The  wife 
of  the  man  in  the  room  downstairs  has  consumption  and  the 
mother  with  her  two  little  girls  must  pass  through  this  room  in 
order  to  reach  her  room  upstairs.  The  wife  of  the  man  who  lives 
in  the  kitchen  has  catarrh,  while  the  man  recently  had  chicken- 
pox.  The  children,  however,  appeared  to  be  in  good  health. 
The  kitchen  where  the  one  couple  live  and  sleep  and  the  two- 
families  eat  has  only  one  window." 

"These  people  are  very  poor  and  sickly.  The  walls  and  ceil- 
ings are  in  bad  repair.  The  husband  is  a  molder,  earning  $9  per 
week.  He  pays  $6  per  month  for  rent.  He  was  ill  with  blood 
poisoning  for  four  weeks  recently,  the  wife  had  a  fever,  the  oldest 
daughter,  age  four  years,  had  diphtheria,  and  the  baby  had 
pneumonia." 

"After  rains,  the  water  stands  in  the  yard  and  under  the 
house.  The  kitchen  wall  is  in  such  condition  that  it  caught  fire 
twice.  The  repair  of  the  house  and  walls  is  generally  bad.  The 
family  income  is  $10  per  week  and  the  house  rent  $6  per  month. 
One  child  had  pneumonia  recently.  The  man,  wife  and  five  chil- 
dren, seven  in  all,  sleep  in  one  room,  although  the  house  has 
three  rooms." 

"The  husband,  wife  and  six  children,  aged  from  fourteen 
months  to  sixteen  years,  occupy  three  dirty,  ill-smelling  rooms. 
The  four  oldest  children  are  girls,  the  oldest,  of  sixteen,  working 
in  a  factory.  Six  persons  sleep  in  one  bed-room  and  two  in  the 
kitchen." 

Negro  Families. 

"The  water  for  the  hydrant  and  closet  is  turned  off,  and 
the  latter  is  not  used.  The  night  soil  is  carried  out  in  a  bucket 
and  emptied  in  the  bushes  on  a  vacant  lot." 


72  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

"The  water  for  the  hydrant  and  closet  is  turned  off.  The 
latter  is  out  of  order  and  has  a  broken  seat.  A  portion  of  the 
ceiling  is  loose  and  may  fall  at  any  time." 

"There  is  much  rubbish  in  the  back  yard,  and  about  ten  re- 
ceptacles filled  with  it,  which  the  collectors  appear  to  have  over- 
looked. The  water  closet  does  not  flush." 

"Two  houses  are  occupied  by  one  woman  who  keeps  a  board- 
ing house.  Of  nine  rooms,  five  are  occupied  by  two  boarders 
each.  The  kitchen  floor  is  irregular,  caves  in,  and  is  weak.  Two 
rooms  on  the  first  floor  have  low  ceilings  and  are  dark.  There 
were  six  barrels  of  trash  in  a  dirty  back  yard." 

"In  six  of  these  houses  the  middle  room  has  no  window,  and 
is  consequently  very  dark.  There  is  a  dump  about  100  yards 
away  where  all  the  folks  along  here  dump  their  refuse,  garbage, 
and  ashes,  as  the  garbage  and  trash  men  are  seldom  seen." 

"The  water  closet  does  not  flush.  Several  boards  in  the  floor 
are  weak  and  are  giving  way.  The  plaster  is  coming  down  on 
the  second  floor." 

"The  back  porch  floor  is  dangerous.  The  plaster  all  over  the 
house  is  coming  down,  the  exposure  making  it  very  cold  in 
winter.  Under  one  window  the  rain  pours  in.  The  water  closet 
is  very  dirty.  A  large  refuse  dump  is  in  the  rear  of  the  yard. 
The  husband  drinks  and  gambles  away  his  money." 

"Several  houses  owned  by  their  occupants  are  in  a  splendid 
condition  of  repair  and  would  be  a  credit  to  any  neighborhood." 

"Get  drinking  water  at  a  spring  a  block  away.  Walls  are 
very  dirty  and  have  received  no  attention  in  five  years.  Ceiling 
is  weak  and  fell  on  occupants  one  night  while  asleep." 

"When  it  rains  the  water  runs  under  these  houses  and  often 
into  the  kitchens." 

"The  middle  room  is  dark.  There  is  a  dump  across  the  street 
and  much  refuse  on  a  vacant  lot  beside  the  house." 

"The  roof  leaks  and  rain  comes  into  the  house.  The  tenants 
are  afraid  to  wash  the  windows  and  shutters  as  they  may  drop 
out." 

"The  basement  of  this  house  cannot  be  used,  as  it  fills  with 
water  during  every  rain.  The  water  runs  from  the  street  into 
the  basement." 

"This  house  faces  the  dumps,  and  when  it  rains  all  the  water 
and  filth  run  into  the  yard." 

"Nearly  all  the  houses  on  this  block  are  owned  by  the  occu- 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Pa.  73 

pants,  and  they  are  well  kept,  clean,  up-to-date  in  every  way, 
and  would  be  a  credit  to  any  section." 

"This  is  a  house  of  one  room  in  the  back  yard,  in  which  live 
a  man,  wife  and  five  children,  the  one  room  being  used  for  all 
purposes." 

"The  walls  are  covered  with  newspapers  to  cover  up  the  dirty 
and  broken  plaster.  The  ceiling  is  loose  and  ready  to  fall." 

"The  occupants  keep  young  chickens  in  the  back  room  up- 
stairs, which  room  is  also  used  as  a  water  closet." 


APPENDIX  III. 

THE  DEATH  RATE  OF  RICHMOND  COMPARED  WITH 
THAT  OF  OTHER  CITIES. 


In  1911,  the  year  for  which  the  latest  comparable  figures  are 
available,  Richmond  had  the  second  highest  death  rate  of  the 
fifty  leading  cities  in  the  United  States,  being  exceeded  by  Mem- 
phis, Tenn.  The  death  rate  per  1,000  of  population  was  21.0  in 
Richmond,  and  21.3  in  Memphis.  This  is  shown  in  the  follow- 
ing table  : 


Death  Rate  Per  1,000  Population  in  the  Fifty  Leading  Cities, 
Showing  White  and  Negro  Death  Rate  Separately  for  Cities 
Having  a  Negro  Population  of  10,000  or  Over,  1911 

Cities  White  Negro  Both  Races 

New  York 15.0  25.1  15.2 

Chicago,  111 14.3  22.1  14.5 

Philadelphia,  Pa 16.2  23.2  16.6 

St.  Louis,  Mo 14.6  25.8  15.4 

Boston,  Mass 16.9  24.3  17.1 

Cleveland,  Ohio ...  13.8 

Baltimore,  Md 16.2  30.8  18.4 

Pittsburg,  Pa 14.8  16.8  14.9 

Detroit,  Mich ...  14.4 

Buffalo,  N.  Y ...  14.5 

San  Francisco,  Cal 15.0  20.4  15.2 

Milwaukee,  Wis ...  11.9 

Cincinnati,  Ohio  15.7  29.2  16.5 

Newark,  N.  J ...  14.8 

New  Orleans,  La 16.6  31.2  20.4 

Washington,  D.  C 15.5  26.5  18.7 

Los  Angeles,  Cal 14.4  17.2  14.5 

Minneapolis,  Minn ...  11.5 

Jersey  City,  N.  J ...  15.8 

Kansas  City,  Mo 14.3  25.3  15.4 

Seattle,  Wash ...  8.8 

Indianapolis,  Ind 13.9  22.3  14.7 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  jr 

Providence,  R.  I ^  jr  5 

Louisville,  Ky. 13.9  25.8  16.1 

Rochester,  N.  Y . . .  I4  4 

St.  Paul,  Minn . . .  IO  Q 

Denver,  Col ...  jc  c 

Portland,  Oregon ...  Io  9 

Columbus,  Ohio 13.9  19.4  I4.'3 

Toledo,  Ohio ...  ^9 

Atlanta,  Ga 15.8  27.8  19^8 

Oakland,  Cal ...  I2,j 

Worcester,  Mass ...  ^.7 

Syracuse,  N.  Y ...  ^3 

New  Haven,  Conn ...  16.7 

Birmingham,  Ala 14.2  24.3  18.2 

Memphis,  Tenn 16.7  28.3  21.3 

Scranton,  Pa ...  14.8 

Richmond,  Va 16.7  28.4  21.0 

Paterson,  N.  J ...  14.6 

Omaha,  Neb ...  14.3 

Fall  River,  Mass ...  17.4 

Dayton,  Ohio ...  13.7 

Grand  Rapids,  Mich ...  13.6 

Nashville,  Tenn 16.0  29.6  20.5 

Lowell,  Mass ...  17.7 

Cambridge,  Mass ...  15.2 

Spokane,  Wash ...  u.6 

Bridgeport,  Conn ...  13.9 

Albany,  N.  Y ...  20.4 

As  in  every  case  the  negro  death  rate  is  higher  than  the 
white  death  rate,  it  is  interesting  to  study  the  comparative  white 
death  rate  only.  The  latest  Census  Bureau  report  showing  the 
death  rate  for  white  and  colored  people  separately  is  for  the 
year  1911  in  cities  in  which  the  negro  population  formed  at  least 
10  per  cent,  of  the  total.  There  were  twenty-one  out  of  the  fifty 
leading  cities  where  such  a  separation  was  made.  For  the  pur- 
poses of  the  present  comparison  it  will  be  assumed  that  the  negro 
death  rate  did  not  have  an  appreciable  effect  upon  the  total  death 
rate  in  the  remaining  twenty-nine  cities,  and  the  total  death  rate 
in  those  cities  will  be  compared  with  the  white  death  rate  in  the 
other  twenty-one. 

The  white  death  rate  per  1,000  population  in  Richmond  was 
16.7.  This  was  exceeded  in  but  four  cities,  namely,  Boston,  Fall 
River  and  Lowell,  Mass.,  cities  having  a  very  large  proportion  of 
foreigners,  and  Albany,  N.  Y.  It  was  equalled  in  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  and  Memphis,  Tenn. 


76  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

It  will  be  observed  that  in  the  cities  where  both  the  white 
and  negro  death  rates  are  shown,  the  white  death  rate  is  usually 
high  where  the  negro  death  rate  is  high.  Thus  in  the  five  cities 
having  the  lowest  negro  death  rate,  ranging  from  16.8  to  22.1, 
the  white  death  rate  ranged  from  13.9  to  15.0  per  1,000;  while  in 
the  five  cities  having  the  highest  negro  death  rate,  28.4  to  31.2, 
the  white  death  rate  ranged  from  15.7  to  16.7  per  1,000.  Further- 
more, the  cities  with  a  comparatively  small  negro  population 
have,  as  a  rule,  a  much  smaller  death  rate  than  the  white  popula- 
tions in  the  other  cities.  Thus,  of  the  twenty-nine  cities  having 
a  negro  population  of  less  than  10,000,  twenty,  or  69  per  cent.,  had 
a  total  white  death  rate  of  less  than  15.0  per  1,000.  Of  the  remain- 
ing twenty-one  cities,  with  larger  negro  populations  only  nine,  or 
43  per  cent.,  have  a  white  death  rate  under  15.0  per  1,000. 

The  next  table  shows  the  death  rate  per  100,000  of  population 
by  races  and  by  causes  of  death  in  1911  in  Richmond,  in  other 
Virginia  cities,  and  in  all  registration  cities  in  the  United  States 
as  a  whole : 


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APPENDIX  IV. 

RICHMOND'S  FINANCIAL  STATISTICS  COMPARED 
WITH  THOSE  OF  OTHER  CITIES. 

According  to  the  most  recent  returns  published  by  the  U.  S. 
Census  Bureau,  namely,  for  the  year  1910,  both  the  receipts  and 
the  expenditures,  per  capita,  of  Richmond  are  less  than  those  of 
the  average  cities  of  100,000  to  300,000  population,  and  very 
much  less  than  the  average  of  all  cities  in  the  United  States. 

Thus,  while  the  receipts  from  other  than  public  service  enter- 
prises were  $17.64  per  capita  in  Richmond,  they  were,  on  an  aver- 
age, $21.15  in  cities  of  100,000  to  300,000  population,  and  $24.77  m 
all  cities  of  over  30,000  population.  The  figures  showing  total 
cost  payments  for  other  than  expenses  of  public  service  enter- 
prises were  $21.75,  $26.21,  and  30.06  respectively. 

This  is  shown  in  the  following  table  compiled  from  the  Cen- 
sus report: 


Neglected  Sections  of  Richmond,  Va.  79 

Per  Capita  Revenue  Receipts  and  Per  Capita  Governmental  Cost 

Payments,  19 10,  of  Richmond,  Va.,  Compared 

With  Those  of  Other  Cities. 

(From  U.  S.  Census  Report  on  Financial  Statistics  of  Cities,  1910.) 


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Per  capita  revenue  receipts : 
Other  than  public  service  en- 
terprises     $17.64  $21.15  $2477 

Public  service  enterprises 5.25  2.50  3.05 


Total    $22.89  $23.65  $27.82 

Per   capita    governmental    cost 

payments : 
For  expenses   other  than   of 

public    service    enterprises 

General  government $  1.27  $  1.19            $  1.95 

Police  department   1.21  1.53                2.15 

Fire  department 1.27  1.65                1.65 

Other    protection    to    person 

and  property 0.18  0.15                0.30 

Health  conservation 0.28  0.27                0.33 

Sanitation 1.05  i.oi                 1.29 

Highways  1.23  1.60                2.01 

Charities,  hospitals  and  cor- 
rections     0.60  0.59                1.08 

Schools    2.34  4-16                4-62 

Libraries,  museums,  and  art 

galleries o.oi  0.21                0.27 

Parks,  playgrounds,  baths  and 

public  entertainments 0.43  0.44                0.59 

Miscellaneous 0.13  0.15                0.20 

Aggregate 9.99  12.97              16.45 

For  expenses  of  public   ser- 
vice enterprises 2.83  1.07                1.26 

For  interest 3-6i  2.39                34O 

For  outlays 8.27  10.80 

Total  cost  payments  ...$24.70  $27.23  $3T-32 


8o  Housing  and  Living  Conditions  in  the 

Comparing  the  detailed  expenditures  of  the  Richmond  Govern- 
ment with  the  average  of  cities  of  from  100,000  to  300,000  popula- 
tion, it  is  found  that  Richmond  in  1910  paid  more,  per  capita,  than 
the  average,  for  expenses  of  the  general  government,  for  health 
conservation,  for  sanitation,  and  for  charities,  hospitals  and  cor- 
rections. Richmond  paid  less  than  the  average  for  the  police  de- 
partment, fire  department,  highways,  schools,  libraries  and  parks 
and  playgrounds.  The  most  conspicuous  difference  is  in  the 
case  of  expenditures  for  schools,  the  per  capita  for  Richmond 
being  $2.34  as  compared  with  the  average  of  $4.16  for  cities  of 
100,000  to  300,000  population  and  $4.62  for  all  cities  of  over 
30,000  population.  The  per  capita  expenditures  for  libraries, 
museums  and  art  galleries  was  $o.0i  for  Richmond  and  $0.21 
and  $0.27  respectively  for  the  two  other  groups  of  cities.  This 
low  expenditure  for  schools  and  other  educational  purposes  ac- 
counts in  a  measure  for  the  high  percentage  of  illiteracy  in  Rich- 
mond, especially  among  those  who  came  under  the  observation 
of  this  society. 


JOm-4,'23 


Makers 

Syracuse.  N.  Y. 
PAT.  JAN.  2 1,1 908 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


